Life Goes On
by PersianFreak
Summary: Eric decides it's time for his and Sookie's little talk. Set after FDtW. Spoilers from all eight books.
1. Chapter 1

Summary: Set a few weeks after FDtW. Eric decides it's time for him and Sookie to have their little talk. Rated T, possibly M for later chapters.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters or anything else to do with this series. Everything belongs to Charlaine Harris.

A/N: Since this is my first fanfic, reviews=love. They also encourage me to keep writing :)

**Chapter 1**

He was there, leaning against her old car, when she walked out of Merlotte's employee entrance. He was looking up, admiring the darkened sky and apparently oblivious to her presence, but Sookie knew his vampire senses had warned him of her presence the moment she put her hand on the door handle. _Well, I knew this was coming,_ she reminded herself as she walked towards him. _This should be interesting. _He seemed to sense her reining in her annoyance and frustration at seeing him through the blood-bond, and looked down to grin at her, their eyes finally meeting.

"Well, hello lover." He greeted gently, his grin remaining on his face as he looked her over, not bothering to be discreet.

"Eric." She nodded and crossed her arms across her chest, all but tapping her foot as he took his time taking her in. "What brings you to Bon Temps?" His head rose at last to meet her expectant gaze. A determined look replaced his grin.

"We need to talk."

_Sigh_. _Of course, I knew that_. She realized that until that point she had been holding on to the vain hope that maybe Eric was making a social call. Wordlessly, she walked past him to unlock her car. He followed her lead and claimed the passenger seat.

"Are you gonna tolerate my driving?" Sookie couldn't help but snap. A flash of amusement crossed his face before he responded.

"I'll do my best." He promised with a deprecating smile. Sookie huffed and ignored him. The drive home was a quiet one, but not awkward or uncomfortable in the least. Eric kept his promise and spent the majority of the drive looking out the window, occasionally humming something to himself, looking ill at ease. Sookie, on the other hand, was nauseous with anxiety. There appeared to be several species of butterflies in her stomach, effectively causing the heat to leave her hands and feet, and her heart to beat expectantly. _Oh, calm down_! She snapped at herself as she pulled into her gravelled driveway. _What's he gonna do? Kill you? Bite you?_ She was being overdramatic, she knew, but somehow, she worried that what Eric could do to her was considerably worse than any physical pain. She sighed as she parked the car behind her house, and pretended not to notice Eric's questioning gaze.

"True Blood?" She offered tersely as she led the way inside her house and into the kitchen.

"Please." He leaned against the counter as she warmed up the liquid and handed it to him, making sure to shake it before doing so. Eric thanked her politely and drank from the bottle. Sookie used that opportunity to mutter something about freshening up and disappeared down the hall and into her bedroom. Once inside, she closed the door and leaned against it, sighing with relief. _First thing's first_, she thought, and set to following her bedtime routine. She even changed into a decent pyjama set: light blue shorts and matching tank top. Having gained some calm from the mundane routine, she took a deep breath and returned to the kitchen. Eric was standing with his back towards her, looking out the window. He didn't turn when she walked in, and Sookie allowed herself to admire him. All 6 feet and 4 inches of him, dressed to kill (casually) in fitted designer jeans and a black polo shirt (no doubt very expensive). His golden hair was in casual disarray, and his world-class butt looked fantastic in his jeans. Sookie quickly calmed the quiver of desire in the pit of her stomach and cleared her throat. Eric turned around and took her in, once again. She had reapplied some eye make-up to avoid looking entirely ready for bed, but only a little. Eric met her gaze with his, and immediately the room atmosphere changed from slight awkwardness to sobriety.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Eric asked softly, but his gaze let her know he wasn't in a joking mood.

"Tell you what?" Sookie was honestly thrown. _What haven't I told him??_

"That I offered to leave everything for you."

"But I did tell you!" Sookie leaned against the counter opposite him.

"You failed to mention that I _loved_ you." He put a strange emphasis on 'love', as if it left a bad taste in his mouth, or it was a word he hadn't uttered in hundreds of years.

"There was no point to me telling you." She retorted coolly. Eric's eyes blazed with anger and annoyance.

"You had no right to hide it from me!"

"What was I supposed to say?" she snapped, her voice rising in pitch as her agitation grew, "_Hey, Eric, I know you remember nothing from the time you spent at my house, but you kinda proposed to me. Catch you later!?_" Her voice rose at the end, making it a question. He decided to ignore that last bit.

"It was not your call to decide whether or not to let me know." He seemed to be trying to calm himself down. His gaze cooled, and so did his voice. Sookie? Sookie was beyond cooling down.

"Oh, but it _was_ my call. It involved the two of us, and your memory wasn't exactly in the best shape. So don't you go telling me that I had no right to hide it from you. I had EVERY right, Eric. It was my call, and I decided it was irrelevant." He began to say something, but she cut him off: she wasn't done yet, "It _was_ irrelevant. How you felt was based in your memory, and when you lost that, you lost them both. It was my call." She repeated the last sentence to make sure he was clear. He wasn't.

"Regardless of the state of my memory, didn't you _think_ I _might_ like to know what I had felt and done while living with you?" His voice was dripping with sarcasm and acid, "You didn't _feel_ that was crucial to my relationship with you?"

"_What relationship??_ There _is_ no relationship!" Sookie was gripping the back of a chair and glaring at the damned vampire standing in her kitchen. Her voice had risen in volume until she was practically yelling, "And drop the 'It-was-my-right-to-know' bullshit, Eric. You think _you_ feel cheated?? How do you think _I_ feel?? You forgot everything, while I had to live with the memory of the old Eric!" At that thought, Sookie's anger disappeared and was swiftly replaced with cold realization. "The man I loved is gone!" She mused to herself, staring at the linoleum, "The man I loved never existed in the first place." All of a sudden, she felt drained. _Oh God_. She could feel Eric's shock at her reaction turn into concern, but at that moment, she didn't quite care enough. Sookie sank down into the chair she had been gripping and buried her face in her hands. Distantly, she heard Eric put down the bottle of blood and felt him kneel in front of her.

"They weren't gone." He murmured as he gently tried to pull her hands away from her face.

"What wasn't?" Sookie played along wearily. She was too tired, too sad to deal with this. She wanted him to leave already and let her be. It was Eric's turn to avoid her gaze. He was carefully studying her hands as if they were the most fascinating things in the world. When he spoke again, his voice was so low she almost had to strain to hear him, and when she had, she ran it back through her head to make sure he had actually said what she thought he had said.

"The feelings I had for you... they didn't disappear with the memories." He met her gaze for half a second, like he was afraid of what he would see, before looking back down at her hands, "They just didn't make sense to me anymore. I didn't know why I felt that way about you."

"Sookie, I care about you." The words fell from his lips awkwardly, and an unstable part of her wanted to laugh: _Eric the thousand-year-old Viking 'cares' about me!_ The majority of her mind, however was singing a different tune. It didn't matter that the egotistical Eric was nowhere to be found, or that he was kneeling in front of her in a way that reminded her of the old Eric, or that he had just admitted to having feelings for her. This Eric came with too many strings attached, too much baggage.

"So what?" She asked quietly, letting her sadness seep through. His frowned, his confusion apparent on his face. He considered her words for a few moments before responding.

"You don't want to be with me." It was a statement, and though his tone was neutral, she could see the whirlwind of emotions in his eyes: confusion, hurt, sadness, anger, more confusion.

"I don't want to date Sherriff Northman. I don't want to be dragged any further into your stupid vamp politics." She sighed and ran a hand through her hair, pushing it out of her face, "I don't want come second to a bar, I don't want to always wonder what you're doing when you're at Fangtasia and I'm here. I want _my_ Eric back." Sookie's eyes returned to her lap where Eric's hands no longer rubbed hers soothingly. He seemed to be frozen, but she still couldn't work up the courage to meet his eyes, so she explored the bond instead. He was calm, but the crazy mix of emotions she had seen in his eyes a few moments earlier was reflected in the bond as well.

"Would Sherriff Northman have come here? Would he have acted this way?" _He makes a good point, Sook._ She finally looked up from her lap, and slowly shook her head. "Who's to say I can't be the old Eric? At least give me a chance, Sookie, I deserve that. I've proven how I feel about you over and over, haven't I?" _Damned logical vampire!!! _She nodded again, and found her voice.

"I have some conditions," a grin tugged at the corners of Eric's mouth, and he nodded for her to carry on, "If I date you, I don't want that to mean that my... telepathic abilities belong to you as well. Anything I do for you will be a personal favour from me to you." She paused, "Unless, of course, de Castro demands it." He nodded in agreement, but his eyes were sparkling with amusement. Sookie ignored him and carried on.

"I don't want to always be the one to come see you at Fangtasia; you have to come here, too. And getting Pam to call me is not an acceptable way of communicating; you want to know how I am, call me yourself." She paused to take a deep breath, but did not continue. Eric raised an eyebrow quizzically.

"Anything else, lover?" Sookie ignored the way her stomach quivered when he called her 'lover'.

"Fidelity. I want to be able to trust you, Eric. I don't care how many fangbangers throw themselves at you, I-" she stopped, unable to continue.

"I won't cheat on you, Sookie!" he looked like she'd insulted him.

"Okay, okay!" she amended hastily, "I just wanted to make sure. Y'know, since you're... nevermind." She snuck a glance at him, and found that he seemed to have calmed down.

"My turn." He announced smoothly, and she looked at him in surprise. What conditions could Eric have? No clothes indoors? No locked doors? What? "I want to give you a gift whenever I feel like it."

"Eric!" She complained, but he interrupted her before she could continue.

"I know you despise being thought of as a 'kept woman', but that isn't what I'm trying to do, so there no reason for you to feel 'kept'."

"Nothing as big, or bigger than a car." Sookie insisted stubbornly. Eric huffed and inclined his head.

"Are we done negotiating, lover?"

"... yes, I think so."

"Good." Eric's eyes shone mischievously, and Sookie gulped nervously. Slowly, Eric leaned forward until his nose was practically brushing against hers, all the time not taking his eyes off of hers, then, very carefully, he pressed his lips against her. Sookie's self-control crashed down around the two of them, and she opened her legs so Eric's hips could fit between her legs. He deepened the kiss, brushing her lips open with his tongue and a moan escaped from her throat. He stood up with her still wrapped around him and carried her to her bedroom.


	2. Chapter 2

**Life Goes On **by PersianFreak

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Charlaine Harris. Please don't sue.

Rating: M

A/N: My first ever fanfic, featuring my first ever ESN. Enjoy! This chapter is really short, and I apologize for that, but I just really couldn't help cutting it off there. Don't hurt me!! Reviews=love :D

**Chapter 2**

He carried her to her bed, where he set her down on the edge and stepped back to undress. Sookie stared at him, mesmerized by his movements as he pulled his black polo shirt over his head and tossed it on the floor, his eyes never leaving her gaze. She reached forward and unbuttoned his jeans, letting the heavy material slide down to his feet, and tried not to ogle him too obviously (_Not your first time, Sookie!_) as she pulled down his black boxer-briefs. Her libido was doing a tap dance in her own shorts, and Eric seemed to feel it through the bond because he swiftly divested her of it. Her tank top was quick to follow, joining the pile of forgotten clothes on the bedroom floor.

"My lover," Eric murmured as he slid Sookie under the covers. Her only response to him was a small moan as she dragged him down with her and pressed her lips to his, her hands exploring his body just as his were memorizing hers. His fingers teased her nipples, and when she responded with another moan, he replaced his fingers with his mouth, suckling and nibbling, then moving on to the other breast. Sookie clutched at the sheets desperately and arched her back. This was too much. _Too much_.

"Oh _god_, Eric!" she cried out as his fingers slid down to her core.

"Yes?" His voice was the picture of innocence, and she could almost see the angelical smile on his face.

"Please... Eric..." His fingers continued to tease her, never quite making contact: just driving her insane with want.

"I can't tell what you want unless you tell me, lover." _Oh, that __**bastard**__!_ She thrust her hips up to meet his fingers, "Oh, this?" his fingers dipped inside of her, and Sookie moaned in desperation. "Is this what you want from me, lover?" _YesyesyesyesyesYESGODERIC__**YES!**_"Look at me, lover!" Sookie fought with all her might to return her gaze to his, where his eyes sparkled with excitement, and his fangs glistened in the half-dark in a show of his arousal, while the _other_ sign of his arousal was pressed against her leg, setting her on fire. His fingers continued to move in a delicious way inside of her, pushing her closer and closer to that golden edge. Sookie whimpered, and immediately chastised herself for it. _Stoppit! You sound ridiculous!_

"Let me hear you. I want to hear that you like it." Eric's voice was practically dripping with sex, "I want to hear you scream my name, lover." _Oh God._ She let out a moan that she would not have been able to silence had she wanted to. She was close. So close. She could hear the wet noise of Eric's fingers inside of her, stretching her, teasing her, driving her mad with desire and pleasure. She was so close that it took one small move, a simple twist, to send her over the edge and make fireworks explode in front of her eyes, and to make her scream his name until her lungs gave out. When it was over, she rolled him over (with his assistance, of course) until she was straddling him. Looking him dead in the eye, she leaned forward until her lips were against his ear and she could whisper in a husky voice "My turn".

*************************

Sookie can _see_ Eric.

She can still feel him inside her as they both tumble over the edge, and she can feel his body spasm inside her, but somehow, all of this she feels as if it's a distant memory. While the pleasure explodes in her mind, she is given a new awareness, a sixth sense, almost. It takes her a moment to realize that this new awareness is based in her bond, in _their _bond, and that not only can she read Eric's mind (which, at the moment, is a jumbled mess of pleasure and pure bliss), she has unlimited access to his heart and soul. Timidly, she reaches out through the bond to explore him, this vampire that has taken over her heart so thoroughly. Eric's being is like a stream of light, beginning at his birth and flowing continuously through time, darkening at his lowest, and sparkling like molten gold at his best. She reaches into the shining gold of his being, sifting through the earlier memories, of victories and kinships, of love and family, until she reaches the dark stretch that has been his existence for at least the past 900 years. Here, she feels Eric's consciousness at her presence, and soon after, the block he tries to create. _Sookie, no. _She can hear his voice inside her mind, feel its tone in her body. It is almost a plea, and that surprises her, but she needs to see that darkness inside of him. She already knows his hasty block is ineffective against her powers, she can _feel_ it, but she holds back in respect. _Eric, please. _Her 'voice' is gentle, comforting, and though it further weakens his defences, Eric is not ready to give in yet. _Sookie, listen to me, I've lived a long time. I have done things in a thousand years that even I can't condone. I don't want you to see that! _ Sookie was about to argue, but he interrupted her. _ I don't want you to think badly of me._ Oh Jesus Christ, Shepherd of Judea. Sookie had wanted 'her' Eric, and here he was. Truth be told, she was shocked. She hadn't believed him until that moment. _Honey, don't you think I know all about the horrible things vampires have done? You're not going to surprise me_. His resolve has been weakened further. He wants her to know him like he hasn't wanted anyone else to know in centuries, but he finds he fears her reaction. If she recoils from him... Thanks to her, he has gained back some humanity, and though he had loathed her for it in the beginning, he now fears for it. Losing her would mean losing all that he had gained. _I'm not going to hurt you, honey. You can trust me. _Eric's will crumbles and he is left defenceless, the horrors of his past laid out for her to see. He had been right; he had heard terrible things, seen things she wished she could erase from both of their memories, committed horrendous acts. _Oh, Eric. _Sookie tightens her arms around him and he buries his face in her hair. She lets the memories flow through her, almost too fast to decipher. She doesn't need details. In her haste, she almost skips right through the most recent memories: the ones that turned Eric's soul bright and beautiful. She sees herself on numerous occasions, through his eyes. As the refreshingly polite Southern belle that first night in Fangtasia, as his saviour that New Year's night, as a scared and fragile human in need of protection in that stairwell in Rhodes with Andre... And gradually, as his love, the one he is bonded to, the one he belongs to, the one he would give everything for.

As abruptly as the connection was created, it is gone, leaving them unsteady and entangled with the other. Tears are streaming down Sookie's face, flowing into her hair and soaking it, until Eric lifts his head and begins kissing them away. They make love again, and lie in the other's arms until they are both forced to accept that dawn is approaching and Eric has to leave. 'Good-bye's are murmured and kisses exchanged, and Sookie falls back asleep with a smiling face and happy heart, dreaming of her Viking.


	3. Chapter 3

**Life Goes On **by PersianFreak

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Charlaine Harris. Please don't sue.

Rating: T

A/N: Sorry for the delay, you guys, but life has been pretty hectic lately (exams, family, blah blah). I was planning on making this chapter longer, but it's already my longest chapter yet, so hopefully you'll be satisfied.

As always, reviews = love 

And a major thanks to everyone who has reviewed already! You guys make my day!!

"Um, Sookie," Same started cautiously, "Compton hasn't stopped staring at you since he walked in." It was around 10:30 on Thursday night, and I was waiting for Sam to fill an order for me. Merlotte's was pretty busy for a weeknight, but I sure wasn't complaining: I need the tips, and if that means losing my mind a little trying to serve all my tables, then so be it. I hadn't seen Eric since Wednesday morning when he'd hurried back to Shreveport before the sun rose, but he did call me Wednesday night while I was at work, something I appreciated immensely. He hadn't called to order me to run to Fangtasia, as he had done on so many occasions, and he hadn't gotten Pam to call me in his place, either. Eric Northman, the thousand-year-old Sherriff of Area Five had actually picked up the phone to ask me how I was doing, and to let me know that he had "matters to attend to" at Fangtasia, something he was clearly not happy about, if the flares of lust I was getting through the bond were any indication. I wasn't too unhappy about that. Not that I didn't want Eric around; I did! I just needed some time to clear my head. What had happened Tuesday night, or rather Wednesday morning, hadn't been the most mundane thing, telepathic part-fae barmaid or not. Eric seemed just as confused by it as I was, but it had seemed to please him regardless, something that surprised me. Vampires weren't exactly the type to pour their hearts out to each other, let alone humans, and me gaining access to all of Eric's memories and experiences was something that was not taken lightly by either one us, but I was grateful: I wanted to _know_ Eric, to try and get to _my_ Eric, the one under the millennium of survival-of-the-fittest and vicious predation, the one I'd gotten to know when he stayed with me when Hallow took his memory from him, and I had been presented with the perfect opportunity. Our best guess was that our blood-bond was strengthened in a way that no other bond had been to the best of our knowledge: through love. We no longer simply shared blood, we shared affection, and this ignited the connection between us when we had sex. Eric and I had talked until Sam had stuck his head in his office and cleared his throat at me pointedly, and I was forced to admit that I _did_ have a job I needed to get back to, at which Eric grumbled something about my boss and a "genuine son of a bitch", which should have made me defensive, but I just laughed and told him I loved him (and when he reciprocated, my heart may have skipped a few beats) and eventually hung up, feeling strangely cheerful and bubbly as I strode back into the bar and ignored Arlene's glares and Sam's displeasure.

That was last night. Tonight, I was considerably less bubbly, but still happy. I could feel Eric's mood, and he seemed pretty happy too, so even if he wasn't with me, I couldn't really blame him; I had to work anyways. Bill Compton's arrival, however, managed to put a slight damper on my spirits, but I was determined to not let him get to me. I had walked over to his booth, taken his order, and now I was trying to discreetly peek at him to see if Sam's observation was true. Yep. Sure enough, Bill Compton was staring a hole in the back of my head. _I wonder if he's heard about Eric and I_, I thought to myself as I carried him his warm TrueBlood. _Oh yeah, he knows_. I hadn't paid much attention to his mood up until now, but he did _not_ look happy. I knew that to anyone else, he looked just like he did every day (er, night), but I knew him well enough to read the emotions in his eyes: sadness, anger, sadness, anger... sadness... more anger.

"There ya go, Bill," I grinned at him as I set his drink down in front of him, "can I getcha anything else?"

"Sookie, can I talk to you for a minute?" My grin disappeared; I felt defeated.

"Can it wait, Bill?" _Until I'm dead?_ I added mentally, "I need to work."

"Perhaps during your break, then?" He insisted, his mouth set in a line of determination. _I give up_. _He_ certainly wasn't going to.

"Fine!" I snapped at him and walked away. _Damned possessive vampires and their jealousy!_ Sam gave me a quizzical look, but I ignored it and continued on working for another little while, until things got less chaotic. When I had made sure that all my tables were, for the moment, satisfied, I told Sam I was taking my break and headed outside, well aware that Bill was following me.

"What do you want?" I asked him rudely, Southern hospitality be damned; he was getting on my nerves and he knew it, and I wasn't about to make it any easier on him. I crossed my arms and glared at him.

"You and Eric are, uh... together?" He inquired impassively. I wished I could see his face more clearly. The single light above Merlotte's employee entrance illuminated my face for him, but only set his in shadows that made his expression even harder to read.

"What does it matter?" I retorted, matching his clinical tone, "I can date whoever I want. What's it to you?"

"He's no good for you, Sookie," Frustration flashed in his eyes, and he pressed his lips together in an attempt to subdue himself, "He will chew you up and spit you out. You deserve better."

"Oh, _that's_ rich," I snapped at him, forsaking the charade. "Coming from the guy who only dated me because he was ordered to, then _cheated_ on me with his ex. Please, Bill, impart some more of your wisdom!" He decided to ignore my jab at his honour.

"This is Eric we're talking about, Sookie!" He took a step forward, and I took one back in response, "_Eric_! He isn't one to tie himself down to anyone, let alone a human!" Okay, _ouch_.

"Well, that's just too damned _unlucky_ of me, isn't it," My eyes narrowed with my hate and anger, and I stepped right up to him, "'cause apparently the only men I'm ever vaguely interested in only think of me as a nice piece of ass, albeit one with telepathic abilities." I was done. Done with Bill and his bullshit, his constant reminders of how much of an asshole he really was, his tireless distrust in my judgement of what's good for me, and I was sure as hell done with this talk. I stepped around him to try and get back into the bar, but he was faster: he grabbed my wrist and made me face him.

"Let _GO _of me!" I tried to twist my wrist out of his grip, but his vampire strength was too much for me. For the second time that night, I cursed vampires.

"Sookie, look," He begged, abandoning his calm, "You don't love me anymore, you wanna be with someone else, that's fine. I deserve it. But not _him_, okay? You deserve better. Better than me, certainly better than him! Please, Sookie?" I had stopped struggling (it was a lost cause anyways), and was staring at Bill like he had just told me he was a male stripper. This was the most emotion I had ever gotten out of him, and it was brought on by my choice in boyfriends (a part of me wondered if that was all Eric was to me, my boyfriend, but I dismissed that thought: I had bigger fish to fry). I stood there in the parking lot of Merlotte's, staring at my vampire ex-boyfriend who was begging me to dump the creature I loved. But he didn't know _shit_. He hadn't seen into Eric's soul, hadn't been there when Eric kissed my tears away, when he held me, when he told me he loved me... he hadn't been there all those times when Eric saved my life, my pride, my dignity. He had no clue who Eric was, and no right to tell me who to love.

"You know what, Bill?" I started quietly, looking down at his hand, which was now clasping mine, "I was hoping one day you and I could just have conversations that don't revolve around my love life. I was hoping to avoid losing you, 'cause that wouldn't make either one of us happy, but you are making it really _damned hard_!" With that, I yanked my hand out of his and walked back into Merlotte's.

*******************************

My hands were shaking with the force of my emotions. I was angry that Bill had barged in and ruined my good mood, hurt by what he had said about Eric's intentions, shaken by his outright begging, and angry some more because I had let him get to me. I went straight back to work, thinking that serving baskets of chicken strips and fries would distract me from the utter mess my night had become, but it didn't help. I was angry enough to snap someone's neck, preferably a certain vampire's, and Sam couldn't help but to notice. I shrugged it off, walked away from him, felt guilty, backtracked, and apologized for my behaviour. He smiled at me and called me 'Cher', something that cheered me up considerably, and steadied my mood.

I continued working, quickly falling into the rhythm of serving beers and cleaning up tables, gathering tips and exchanging niceties. I was pocketing the tip Andy Bellefleur had left me (15%, down to the cent) when I felt happiness and calm pour through the bond. I grinned to myself: Eric was coming. Sure enough, not five minutes later, my Viking walked into Merlotte's, and he looked _good_. He was wearing a different pair of designer jeans with a v-neck red t-shirt that hugged his body and outlined his toned torso. His hair was a little messy, like he had driven with his windows rolled down, and he looked like he had walked off of a photoshoot set. His eyes took in the no-longer-crowded bar and settled on me, at which point he grinned and made his way towards where I was standing by the bar, casually chatting with Sam. The bar had quieted with his arrival, and even Arlene was standing with her mouth hanging open before she caught herself and replaced it with a look of disdain for the vampire. Me? I was too busy not caring what anybody thought.

"Hello, lover," he smiled at me and bent his head down to kiss me. I stood on my tippy toes and wrapped my arms around his neck, "How are you tonight?"

"Mmm, better now," I murmured against his lips, "Much better."

"Why, what happened?" Eric gently straightened up, his hands now holding mine, his eyebrows cocked slightly, "I could feel your anger through the bond, so I came as soon as I could."

"It's nothing, really," I lied smoothly. As much as I may love Eric, I really didn't want to get him into a fight with Bill; I wasn't sure if Bill would walk away unharmed. "Just a little argument, that's all." Eric's eyebrows rose even higher, and his nostrils flared as he sniffed the bar, the occupants of which were all staring at us.

"Compton." His eyes cooled by several degrees, enough to make me worry for the well-being of the other vampire.

"Eric, don't-" I started to protest, but he interrupted me.

"What did he say to you?"

"Nothing! He was just-"

"Sookie, don't try to protect him, please," He interrupted me yet again, levelling me with his gaze, "What did he say to upset you, my love?"

"He just..." I sighed and looked away in defeat, "He told me that you were no good for me and begged me to dump you before you threw me away." Ok, so not his _exact_ words, but that had been the gist of it. Looking at Eric's face, however, made me grateful that I wasn't (and hopefully, never would be) at the receiving end of that look. You don't want the Sherriff of Area Five to be unhappy with you, that's for sure.

"I'll be back," he brushed his lips against my forehead and made to leave.

"No, Eric, please-" But he was gone, leaving me alone with the couple dozen pairs of eyes trained on me like I was the new exhibit at the local zoo: "_And here we have Sookie the Telepath..._"

"Alright, folks, show's over," Sam called out from behind the bar, "Go back to your life." The people of Bon Temps may be vicious gossipers, but they were known for their patience. They would be biding their time, waiting for more information on '_the hot hunk of vampire_' and Crazy Sookie, who was, no doubt _'his squeeze_' (thank you, Portia Bellefleur). I shot Sam a nervous look, begging him to understand that I had to go make sure Eric didn't stake anyone, and, God bless him, he nodded at me understandingly. I hurried to the back of the bar, and out the employee entrance, simultaneously probing with my mind for the thoughts of the two vampires. I thought I heard voices coming from the darkened end of the parking lot (where the Rattrays had tried to drain Bill the first night I had met him), so I headed in that direction, my mind reaching out into the darkened trees. _Jackpot_, I thought to myself as I felt the empty spots that marked the brains of vampires, and then, soon after, the raised voice of _my_ vampire.

"... too far, Compton. If I were confident that Sookie would forgive me for it, I would stake you right here and now!"

"Don't mess with her, Eric," Bill's voice was unmistakable, "She doesn't deserve more vampires fucking with her life!" I raised my eyebrows: I had never heard Bill swear like that, and it surprised me that I was the one to cause it.

"You are so terribly ignorant, Compton," Eric hissed, and though I couldn't see him, I was willing to bet that his fangs were extended, "Do not, for a second, think that I will treat Sookie anything like you did! And do _NOT_, under any circumstances, bother her with your paranoid bullshit ever again, or I _will_ find a way to ensure a tragic end to your miserable existence." I gasped quietly, something that alerted both vampires. I heard the tiniest click (or maybe I was imagining it because I was waiting for it) as their fangs retracted, and then the sound of the foliage being disturbed as one blank mind-spot moved away. Eric emerged from the trees half a second later, his eyes probing mine for a reaction: I didn't have one. I let him gather me in his arms, and I buried my face in his chest wordlessly. A small part of me was happy that he had threatened Bill that way, and that he had held back because of me, and yet another part of me wondered if he would honestly have killed Bill if I hadn't stopped him.

"Thank you." I whispered into his chest.

"For what, my love?" _Yeah, for what?_ I was at a loss. I suddenly realized that I wasn't just talking about tonight, I was talking about the past year and half. All the times he'd taken care of me, saved me, helped me... Everything, from the first night when he had helped me by answering my questions about poor Maudette and Dawn, to the night he drove me from Jackson to Bon Temps without a single complaint, to the times when he had made love to me when he had lost his memory, and the time he saved Tara from Mickey the deranged psychopathic vampire... there was so much he had done! So much that he hadn't needed to do, but had done regardless, that I hadn't even noticed, but taken for granted.

"For everything," I kissed his chest through his shirt, and smiled when I felt his chest rumble with his laughter.

"Well, you are welcome, my love," He kissed the top of my head, "Are you ready to go home?" I perked up at the thought, but my mood went back down again when I realized my shift wasn't over yet, and I told him so.

"I will wait for you in the bar then," Eric smiled easily as he lead me back to the employee entrance.

"I'll get you a drink," I grinned up at him as I stood up on my toes to kiss him lightly on the lips.

"A-negative, if you don't mind."

"Will do, Sherriff."

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

**Life Goes On **by PersianFreak

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Charlaine Harris. Please don't sue.

Rating: T

A/N: I'm finally getting to the meat of the plot, so stay with me. As always, reviews are fantastic and make my day, so please please please? Thanks for sticking with me, everyone 3

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The night was long from over.

I still had a little over an hour left in my shift, so I'd gotten back to work after serving Eric his True Blood (and kissing his hair, 'cause I couldn't help it). I was still getting funny looks from the remaining patrons of Merlotte's, thanks to the gorgeous Viking currently sitting in his booth and making no attempts at subtlety as he watched me work, but I quite honestly could not have cared less. I was thinking of the things Eric and I would do when I finally got off work, which was probably why I didn't even hear Eric's phone ring, nor did I notice him walk out of the bar with a grimace on his face when he checked the caller ID. When I noticed his empty booth, I looked around with what I'm sure was a lost-puppy-dog look in my eyes. Sam caught my eyes and mimicked talking on the phone, which made me feel less abandoned, but disappointed. Eric not only picking up his phone, but actually walking out of the bar for some privacy did not bode well for my night. My Viking strode back in a few minutes later with murder in his eyes, something that is exponentially more frightening in a vampire's eyes than in a typical man's. His eyes glowed and his jaw was set in a line of tension. Naturally, our blood-bond was practically crackling with the intensity of his anger, and I had to focus to not allow his emotions to leak into mine.

"What's going on?" I asked him, trying not to let my disappointment creep into my voice.

"I have been called away by the King," he responded curtly, "I'm to report to Las Vegas."

"Oh," _Of course_. King de Castro was the only person who had that much power over Eric. "So, um, when will you be leaving?"

"Immediately," he sighed, defeat replacing his anger, "I'm sorry Sookie, I can't defy him."

"Yeah, no, I know," I looked down at my shoes and tried not let the tears fall, "It's okay, go."

"Sookie," he chastised gently. Eric put a finger under my chin and forced me to look up, "Don't cry, I don't know what to do when you cry!" I chuckled and wiped my face with the back of my hand.

"I guess I do cry a lot when you're around," I admitted reluctantly.

"Yeah, well, stop it," he teased lightly, his eyes sparkling.

"Okay," I responded, for lack of a better thing to say, "And I can't come with you?"

"No, lover," Eric's tone was firm, "I don't know what he wants from me, but whatever it is, I have a feeling I'm not going to like it. I'm sure I'll be fine!" he added in a hurry when he saw the concern in my eyes, "Besides, I'm sure it will not take long." I sighed and nodded, and, smiling, Eric bent down and kissed me in the middle of Merlotte's for the second time that night.

"I have to go," he whispered against my lips.

"No," I meshed my lips with his.

"Your boss is watching us," he chuckled, "with growing disgust, I might add." He straightened up, and grinned at Sam over my head, revealing his fangs. I sighed again and blushed. I was acting like such a slut tonight, but I was too emotionally drained to care at the moment.

"I'll miss you," I mumbled, my cheeks getting hot. When did I become such a girly girl? What happened to the strong Sookie, the one who didn't need a man? Come to think of it, I _didn't_ need _a_ man. I just needed _my_ man. I'd spent too much time hiding from Eric and pushing him away to have the patience for a business trip, as formidable as his boss may be. I wouldn't be exactly dysfunctional without him in town, but I was sure I would be pretty distracted.

"Really?" Eric leered at me, "What will you miss the most, _lover_?"

"Your innate ability to get on nerves," I smacked him playfully, "now get going!"

"You're a cold-hearted woman, Miss Stackhouse," he sniffed coldly, then he dropped the charade and grinned at me, "but I will miss you, too, lover." We kissed again, and Eric walked out, but not before giving another triumphant look to Sam, who was looking pretty damn mad. There was nobody else left in the bar, the other waitresses having left one by one, so I quickly got to finishing my clean-up routine, and said good-bye to Sam, wanting to go to my house and brood about Eric's absence and Bill's little outburst. As I drove home, I contemplated the latter's actions; I was honestly surprised at him. He had always been pretty good at reigning in his emotions, always giving me little more than stoic looks and cool smirks, even while we were dating. But tonight...

I shook my head in an attempt to clear it. I considered the fact that Eric had taunted Bill and attempted to seduce me relentlessly while we had been together; always seemingly confident that one day I would be "his", while I had assured Bill that it would never happen. Was that it? Was Bill simply upset because I was dating the man (well, vampire) that had always been competing with him for my affections? But this didn't explain why Bill didn't react this way when he realized Eric and I had had sex when he had been staying with me. That time, he had calmly asked me about it, I had calmly responded, and then the subject had been changed... maybe the fact that I was no longer with Eric at that point had something to do with it. Bill must have gauged the strength of our blood-bond and had- what? Decided to come to my place of employment to try and change my mind? Was he that desperate? _Wouldn't you be?, _ I asked myself as I pulled into my driveway, _if you knew that the man you loved was dating someone who would hurt him, wouldn't you beg him to leave her?_ I honestly didn't know the answer. I shook my head again and got out of my car. As much as I would hate to admit it, I felt a twinge of pity for Bill. I wish he could get over whatever feeling he still had for me, and I wished desperately that he could be happy. He had broken my heart, yes, but that didn't make him evil, and I hated to see him like this. I opened the back door with my key and went inside, contemplating the pros and cons of taking a shower, considering my exhaustion. I opted for the lazy option and went through my bedtime routine, my thoughts alternating between the only two men I have ever loved. I finally slid under the covers, and was asleep before my head hit the pillow.

I awoke early, to the sound of someone calling my name.

"'Melia," I mumbled, rolled over and buried my face in my pillow, "I wan' sleep."

"Sookie!" Amelia snapped impatiently, "there's someone here for you!" That woke me up.

"What," I sat upright in bed and attempted to rub the sleep out of my eyes, "Who? Why?"

"I don't know," Amelia plonked down on the bed beside me, "He says he's here from the King."

"The King?" I was definitely awake now, "As in, of Nevada?"

"And Louisiana, and Arkansas," Amelia nodded anxiously, "He says he has a message for you, so hurry up and go talk to him! He makes me nervous." She bit her lip nervously, and gave me a small smile as I dragged myself out of bed and to the bathroom. Once inside, I shut the door and stared at my reflection in the mirror. Why would the King want me? He knew to contact me through Eric, so why had he sent a human? And what was so urgent that it couldn't wait until sunset, when he could have gotten Eric to contact me? I took a deep breath and tried to shake off the sense of foreboding that was starting to freak me out. I quickly washed my face, brushed my teeth, slapped on some moisturizer and make-up, and ran a comb through my hair before changing into something decent. Once I was all cleaned up, I took a deep breath to calm my once-again-hammering heart, and headed out into the living room. The man sitting comfortably on my couch was around my age, but his stern eyes and the rigid set of his jaw made him appear older. He has a shock of dark hair, which he has done his best to smooth back, and grey eyes that took me in as I entered the room. I immediately felt self-conscious and wished I had dressed in something a little less comfortable. The young man himself was dressed in what I could tell was a dark grey designer suit and black loafers: definitely not something you see worn everyday in Bon Temps, Louisiana.

"Miss Stackhouse, I presume?" I nodded, and then, remembering my manners, smiled at him invitingly.

"Yes, and you are..?"

"Meyer, Robert Meyer." He clasped my hand in his cool grip and nodded at me. _Jeez_, I thought to myself, _this guy definitely needs to loosen up_.

"So, um, can I get you anything to drink, Mr. Meyer?"

"Already done," Amelia called with a fake cheerful grin as she walked in carrying a tray with a glass of water, "can I get you anything, Sook?"

"Can I have some coffee, please?" I grinned at her, knowing full well she was grateful to have another opportunity to leave the room. Amelia all but skipped out of the room, leaving me once again alone with Mr. Meyer. I perched on the edge of the armchair.

"Miss Stackhouse, I am sorry to say that this is not a social call," _No shit_, I snapped mentally, but smiled and nodded at him to carry on, "I am under direct orders from the King to escort you to his headquarters in Las Vegas."

"I don't mean to, uh, question the King's decision, of course," I chose my words carefully in an attempt at being diplomatic, "but how come I wasn't... _summoned_ along with E- along with Sheriff Northman?" I did my best not to wince at 'summon': I hated being treated like a second-class citizen. Mr. Meyer, however, did not seem to appreciate my attempt at diplomacy.

"King de Castro saw no need to justify his actions to me, and I was not foolish enough to question him," Robert Meyer sniffed at me. I swear to God, he _sniffed_ like I had insulted his grandmother, "You would be smart to follow in my footsteps."

"I apologize," I mimicked his formality, "When does the King require my presence?"

"Immediately," the man's expression told me there was no room for negotiation, and I wasn't about to argue anyways. I wasn't due in for work today, and running to Las Vegas had its pros: shopping, and, of course, seeing Eric.

"I'll need to call my boss and pack," I let him know as I got up, "Excuse me."

"I have some things to attend to in Shreveport," Meyer stood up with me, "I will be back at one to pick you up. The King requires that you pack these items," he gestured to several boxes stacked beside that couch that I hadn't noticed until that point, "He wanted to ensure that you had appropriate attire." I bit back the indignation that rose in me and tried to remember who I was dealing with. I tensed my jaw and nodded at him.

"Thank you,"

"I will see you at one, Miss Stackhouse," _Yeah, I got it!_ I nodded at him again, and reluctantly remembered my hospitality.

"See you then, Mr. Meyer." I walked him (and his ego) out, and then collapsed on the couch.

"He's gone?" asked Amelia as she set my coffee down in front me of me. I nodded and thanked her.

"I have to go to Vegas for a few days," I smiled apologetically.

"_What!_" I told her what Mr. Meyer had bothered to tell me, and when I was done, I called Sam to let him know I would be away for a few days. The amount of guilt that man can pile on without even trying is shocking. He wasn't happy, but then again, neither was I and I let him know that. When I was done letting everyone who cared know about my little trip, I got to packing. It didn't take me long to pack, though I had to guess how many days' worth I would need. I finally settled on 3 of my best dresses, a formal suit I has purchased for Dallas a year ago, a few pairs of heels and casual shoes, a few casual outfits, and the essentials. I figured if I needed any more, I would buy some: I was counting on the King (or Eric) reimbursing me for any work-related items of clothing I would need. Having done that, I decided to take a look at the clothes the King had sent me. There was a beautiful charcoal grey suit, complete with shiny black heels and a pearl necklace, as well as a gorgeous strapless ice-blue cocktail dress that would bring out my eyes and compliment my tan. I packed those as well, in a black suitcase I had borrowed from Amelia (my own set of luggage having been lost in the Rhodes fiasco). A glance at the clock told me it was nearly eleven, which meant I had time to take a long shower and eat lunch before Robert Meyer showed up again (yay). I did just that. Amelia and I were putting away the last remnants of our lunch when the doorbell rang. I did a quick check of my outfit (black A-line skirt and red v-neck sweater) and went to get the door.

"Miss Stackhouse?" asked the man standing at my door. He appeared to be the driver of the limousine that was parked in my driveway. He smiled easily at me, his green eyes sparkling cheerfully. I found myself relaxing.

"Yep,"

"My name is Jonathan. Is this all your luggage?" He gestured towards the single back suitcase. I nodded at him and grabbed my purse. "Mr Meyer is waiting for you in the limo." I hugged Amelia good-bye and promised to call her that night from my hotel room, and followed Jonathan out. Having put my suitcase in the trunk, he opened the door for me. I thanked him before ducking my head and stepping into the car.

"Good afternoon," I smiled at Robert Meyer. He looked exactly like he had this morning: prim, proper, disapproving and plain ol' boring. He nodded curtly at me.

"Are we flying from Shreveport?" I asked as Jonathan led the car out of my driveway.

"No," he shook his head, "the King has provided us with a private jet. It's waiting for us at a private airfield just outside of Shreveport." Having exhausted all of my possible conversation-starters (ok, so I only had one to begin with, but this guy didn't exactly invite human contact, either) I distracted myself by looking out the window. It was starting to get cooler in Louisiana, but the plants were still holding on to their summer colours. I wondered if Eric knew that I was also summoned to Nevada, and if he was looking forward to seeing me. I also wondered how come the King hadn't thought to summon me with Eric, and what was so urgent that I hadn't been given a day's warning, at least. My trains of thought weren't going anywhere, and I was only succeeding in mystifying myself further, so I dropped it altogether.

"Would you like some champagne, Miss Stackhouse?" Robert Meyer broke me out of my reverie. It was the middle of the day, but I wasn't a very comfortable flyer, and the mystery of my summoning wasn't helping my nerves, so I accepted. I watched as he opened a very discreet fridge and pulled out a bottle of champagne, and then two glasses from a separate compartment. He handed me the glass, and I held it out for him to pour me some of the liquid courage.

"To your... eternal health, Miss Stackhouse." He toasted, and, for the first time since I'd met him, he smirked, as if at some private joke I wasn't to know about. I raised an eyebrow but clinked my champagne glass against his and drained my own. Mr. Meyer seemed to be watching me with new-found interest, but I didn't get a chance to question him, because a fog was settling inside the limo... Why was-... How strange, I could have sworn the champagne tasted... no matter... Darkness.


	5. Chapter 5

**Life Goes On **by PersianFreak

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Charlaine Harris. Please don't sue.

Rating: T

A/N: My one-shot story, Give Or Take, is now up. As always, thanks for the awesome reviews and the support, and remember that more reviews are always welcome  And now, without further ado: *flourish*

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"_My love,"_

"_Eric," cool arms wrapped around me, and Eric's cool lips pressed against my neck, "I missed you."_

"_It's been less than a day, lover," he chuckled against my shoulder. I blushed._

"_I know, but I feel like there's something wrong," I frowned, there was something at the edge of my consciousness... if I could just reach out and-_

"_Darling, wake up!"_

"_What? What are you talking about? I _am_-"_

"_Sookie, wake up!"_

"_Wha-"_

"Wake up!"

My eyes flew open. Eric's face was an inch from mine, and his bright blue eyes were dominating my field of vision.

"What-" I tried to sit up, but a sharp pain in my head made me reconsider and I lay back down. With Eric's help, I tried again to sit up, this time slowly.

"Eric, where are we?" I was sitting on a cold, hard surface. Concrete, my mind supplied helpfully. Looking around didn't help much, either. The room was sparsely furnished with a single metal shelf functioning as a bed sticking out of one wall, and a single light bulb that hung desolately from the ceiling and did little to light the room, leaving the corners in shadows. I assumed we were in Las Vegas, in a basement somewhere, possibly in the King's headquarters. '_Thanks a lot, you sneaky bastard!_' I sent out to Robert Meyer, wherever the hell he was. Hopefully in a gutter somewhere. I knew without having to be told that the only reason Eric had yet to demolish a wall and get us out was because the walls and the door were reinforced with silver panels. Having finished my inspection of the room, my gaze returned to Eric, whose expression was one of pure misery.

"Did they do anything to you?" he asked gently, his eyes probing mine, "Did they hurt you?"

"What, no," I frowned, "Eric, why are we here?" He hadn't answered me the first time, and the lethargy left behind by... well, whatever Robert Meyer had used to drug me with was fading, leaving me plain ol' terrified. "What do they want from us?"

"I don't know, my love," Eric helped me stand up and led me to the 'bed', where he sat down and pulled me down unto his lap.

"What happened after you left?" I had rested my head against his chest, but I looked up when he didn't respond. "Eric?"

"Nothing," I raised my eyebrows at him, and he smiled sadly, "I arrived in Vegas, reported to the King's headquarters, and went to my hotel room for the day; I woke up here. I was set to meet de Castro tonight. I'm assuming he's on his way right now. You, I don't know why he wants." I shot him an incredulous look and he smiled again, "Alright, so I know why he wants you, I just don't see why he would want you in a cell with me." _He is hiding something from me_, I realized with a start. I knew he was because his mind had told me so._ I can hear his thoughts... and_ _he doesn't think I can handle the truth_.

"That's not true, Sookie, and you know it." I gaped at him, him and his disapproving look.

"What?"

"You know 'what'!"

"No no, you _heard_ me?" Eric looked confused for all of two seconds before realization dawned on him.

"Huh," he commented thoughtfully.

"That's it? 'Huh'?? We can hear each other's thoughts and that's all you have to say?!"

"You can hear my thoughts, can you?" he raised an eyebrow at me, the hints of a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. Whoops.

"Depends."

"On?"

"Whether or not you're mad!"

"Lover, considering how you were granted access to my memories, and I to yours, this really isn't that much of a surprise!"

"So you aren't mad?"

"No," he smiled at me and kissed my hair, "Though I suspect you aren't very happy about this yourself," I frowned in confusion, and he continued, "Wasn't your inability to read our minds what first drew you to Bill?"

"But-"

"Ah, Sherriff Northman," came a smooth voice from the corner of the room, "and Miss Stackhouse! What a pleasant surprise!" Felipe de Castro calmly stepped out of the shadowed doorway, closely followed by his right-hand man (er, vamp), Victor Madden.

"King de Castro," Eric smoothly slid me off of his lap and onto my feet before inclining his head at the two men, who were now joined by a young vampire with bright blue hair and an older man seemingly dressed for a night of flamenco dancing. The King himself was wearing his signature dress-pants-and-vest ensemble, except that tonight the vest was in red silk. His stud earring was replaced with a simple gold hoop, and he looked just as devilishly handsome as he had when I first met him. Eric nudged me gently, and I bowed reluctantly. Apparently, his kidnapping us did not mean we could forego a respectful greeting for de Castro and his cronies. I bit back my snarky retort at the bastard's, oh I'm sorry, I meant the King's feigned surprise at our presence... in his own basement.

"Why have you brought us here?" I asked softly because I couldn't take de Castro's silent pleasure at seeing Eric and I anymore. His companions' fanged grins weren't helping either.

"Well, you see, Miss Stackhouse," the King began, his accent making my ordinary name sound exotic and glamorous, "I am not one to let my assets go to waste, especially when their waste can be so easily remedied." A sudden wave of understanding poured through the bond, quickly to be followed by a mix of anger and despair. I looked at Eric in confusion, but he kept his eyes trained on the King, who was speaking again.

"Now you, my dear lady, are a very valuable asset, and I'm not about to let a measly thing like your mortality get in my way." Cold realization hit me, and I went down like a rock. Eric (God bless his vampire reactions) caught me before I hit the ground and gently sat me down on the cold floor. "Call me greedy, but telepaths as powerful as you are _very_ rare. I should know: I've lived for hundreds of years." De Castro chuckled at his own joke and his buddies tittered delightedly.

"Why now?" Eric hissed through clenched teeth, "She's young, she's healthy, and she's already yours. Why turn her now?"

"You know as well as I how fragile human life is, Sherriff," De Castro responded calmly, "Diseases, car crashes, accidents. Things that can take a life in an instant. I am simply protecting my assets. An insurance policy, if you will."

"Well, you seem to have it all figured out," Eric snapped, "Why do you need me here?"

"Watch it, Sherriff." The King chastised mildly, "I'm about to do you a favour; don't make me regret it." Eric clenched his jaw and attempted to get a hold on his temper. He turned his head slowly and looked at me, his features softening almost imperceptibly. I clutched at his hands desperately. I was gonna die tonight, here in this dank cell. I wished there was a way, I wished with all my heart that Eric could save me this time, that he could grab me and take me away from this place, from these people, from this fate... but he couldn't. Not this time. Of all the times he had saved my life, this time it was out of his hands. He couldn't defy his King without risking his own life, and I didn't want that. I was sure that he would if I asked him, he would challenge de Castro's will, and lose his own in the process, but it wouldn't change anything and he knew this. Resistance would only result in Eric's final death as well as my conversion to a vampire. I didn't want to become one of the undead, I never had and my feelings for Eric didn't change my mind. But if I had no other choice... I knew Eric would want me to be immortal, I had seen it in his heart just a few nights ago (was it really only a few nights ago? It felt like a lifetime...), but he would never force me and, as much as I wished I could spend more than a lifetime with him, becoming a vampire just wasn't an option. It doesn't matter anyways, I realized with a desolate chuckle. In the end, all that mattered was that some head honcho decided my gift was too valuable to belong to a meagre human. He wasn't about to listen to me beg, and even if he was, my pride was too big to allow me to plead with my soon-to-be-murderers. I thought of everyone that I have ever loved; of Sam and Tara, of Amelia and Octavia, of Gran and Jason. The last made my throat tighten with unshed tears. Jason, who was my closest relative. Jason, whom I loved, despite all his faults. Jason, whom I hadn't spoken to in weeks. I bit back my wave of sadness, this was not the time nor the place, what with my captors watching our every move.

"What favour?" I inquired hoarsely. Felipe de Castro grinned gleefully at me for picking up on his hint.

"Sherriff, I understand that you and Miss Stackhouse share more than just a blood-bond, correct?" Eric nodded hesitantly. "Well, Sherriff, I am going to do you the favour of letting you turn your lover into one of us."


	6. Chapter 6

**Life Goes On **by PersianFreak

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Charlaine Harris. Please don't sue.

Rating: T

A/N: Alright, second chapter of the day! Hope y'all will enjoy it. You know the drill: thanks for those who have already reviewed, and a plea to newcomers to review, please. Love you all 

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"Well, Sherriff, I am going to do you the favour of letting you turn your lover into one of us."

The whole world slowed down. I took in Felipe de Castro smiling proudly at Eric and I, Victor's teeth glinting in the dim light over de Castro's shoulder, the other two vampires sharing a menacing look, and finally, Eric's disgusted expression.

"No, I can't," he shook his head, "I won't." He moved away from me to emphasize that point. The hand that had been clasping his fell uselessly into my lap. Eric shot me an imploring look. "Sookie, I can't. Not when you don't want it." I nodded and looked at the floor.

"Are you refusing my offer, Sherriff?" De Castro cocked a perfectly-arched brow, "Because if you are, I'm sure Victor wouldn't mind filling in for you." He gestured at the vampire standing behind him who was now leering at me obscenely.

"No!" growled Eric.

"What do you think, Miss Stackhouse?" the King turned to me, "Who would you prefer to be your sire?" I looked at Eric. He had to ask? The thought of Victor Madden having that much power over me, being able to make me heel, forcing me to bend to his will... I shuddered. There was no doubt in my mind that he wouldn't make my immortality pleasant for me. Eric locked eyes sadly with me.

"Sookie..."

"I would want it to be you." I whispered softly.

"You want me to take your life? To change you against your will?"

"There is no other way, Eric," I hated it, but I had also accepted it. In a moment of clarity, I had examined the options placed in front of me, and I had picked. "Will you?" Eric gave me a long look before nodding. I could feel the anguish he was feeling, the desperation, the defeat... and I loved him for it. I loved that he was so loath to turn me when it was one of his dearest wishes, because he knew I didn't want it. I loved him for placing my wants higher than his own. I smiled sadly at him, and at myself, for reducing this thousand-year-old vampire to human emotions.

"Now?" Eric turned to the King.

"If you don't mind." The King smirked at him. Eric nodded to himself.

"Not in front of witnesses."

"Oh, of course, Sherriff." And with that, the King of Nevada, Louisiana and Arkansas walked out of the room, gesturing at his companions to follow his lead.

"We'll be waiting right outside," Victor promised merrily. Once they were all gone and the door was shut securely behind them, Eric rose and walked over to me, extending a hand (which I accepted) and helping me up. Never letting go of my hand, he took me back to the shelf, where, for the second time that night, he pulled me onto his lap.

"Is it..." I paused, unsure of how to finish, "Dismal?" I couldn't find a better word.

"What, being a vampire?" he murmured against my jaw. I nodded nervously. "It used to be, my love. It used to be." I smiled a little.

"Will you still love me when my heart doesn't beat anymore?" He chuckled gently, and I felt my face growing hot.

"Of course I will, you silly girl," he kissed my lips softly, and then turned serious, "Will you still love _me_ after I've taken your life?"

"It's not your fault." It was his turn to nod, "So, yes, I will." I paused.

"I'm scared, Eric," I found I couldn't look into his eyes, so I stared at his lips.

"I know. I won't hurt you."

"I know," It was my turn to say it, "We should... hurry." He nodded, and I took a deep breath. He gave me one last kiss on the lips then leaned down to my neck. I reminded myself to keep breathing, and inhaled shakily. He kissed my neck gently before biting into my jugular, as painlessly as I had ever been bit by a vampire. Eric drank from me until the tips of my fingertips grew cold and numb, until I lost all sensation, until my internal dialogue became loopy and gay, and then he drank from me until everything went dark. The last thing I remember is Eric's cool breath against my ear as he murmured 'I love you.'


	7. Chapter 7

**Life Goes On **by PersianFreak

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Charlaine Harris. Please don't sue.

Rating: M

A/N: Alright, some ESN so you guys don't hurt me. Also, I came ~this~ close to crying while I wrote this chapter. This is a short one, but I've been updating pretty regularly lately, so hopefully you will forgive me. As always, thank you guys for the amazing reviews I'm getting, they really make my day a whole lot brighter. More reviews are always welcome  Thanks again, and enjoy.

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I awoke with the sudden realization that my heart no longer beat. My body, as I lay on what I assumed was a bed, was too still. I no longer thrummed with vitality, my veins no longer pulsed with blood, and my heart no longer pumped life throughout my being. With my eyes still closed, I inhaled experimentally, but the relief that I had come to associate with oxygen no longer existed. It was simply a motion; inconsequential and unnecessary. Upon opening my eyes, I found blinking just as excessive. With these realizations came the awareness that I was strong. My muscles, though motionless, were almost crackling with power. I stiffened my muscles experimentally, and with a simple but swift push I vaulted myself up with my arms and landed in front of the bed I had been lying on. I looked at my surroundings: I was in a large room, a bedroom. The bed I had been lying on was a four-poster one decked out in red. The room was otherwise furnished with a vanity, a closet, and small desk in the corner, all in a beautiful mahogany finish. However, my attention was drawn to the floor-to-ceiling windows with a beautiful view of the city (Shreveport?) at night. _She's magnificent_. The thought flashed across my mind, like a marquee, but it wasn't my own. It belonged to the shadowed figure leaning against the vanity opposite me. _Eric¸_my clouded mine supplied, and I smiled.

"Thirsty?" he asked quietly. _Oh, yes_, I realized suddenly. Until then, I had been feeling a strange longing. It was disconcertingly similar to a need for sex, and yet different. I _was_ hungry, but I no longer associated it with my stomach, but rather something that ran deeper, something more primal than a taste for food. I needed blood.

"Yes." An object flew at me and I caught it before realizing what it was, and that I had caught it with superhuman ease. Blood. I bit into the package without further ado, my fangs (my _fangs_?) piercing the thin plastic, and... _yes_. Blood. It filled me with magic, awakening my senses, and dulling the longing inside me. It was beautiful, and yet a higher level of consciousness in me was put off by my need for it. That same level made me realize that Eric could have just as easily provided me with a live human and warm, fresh blood, but he hadn't. He had guessed my aversion to hurting another- no, not _another_ human being, _a_ human being, for I was no longer human. Eric had predicted my aversion to hurting a human being, no matter how willing that human may be. Having drained the package entirely within seconds, I tossed it aside, licking my lips clean.

"More?" I shook my head. I covered the distance between us in a heartbeat, until my face was only a few inches away from his.

"Sookie," he murmured. His voice was beautiful. How come I hadn't noticed that before? It was deep and warm, and it rumbled deep in his chest in a pleasing way.

"Eric," my voice was a moan, low and desperate. My lips were now millimetres away from his. "Eric." His lips came down on mine and I lost all control. I pressed myself to him as my hands traversed his body, under his shirt, across his back. _His _hands were everywhere. They lifted my beautiful sweater over my head, and his lips moved down to my breasts. He caught one in his mouth and bit gently through the material. My fingers tangled in his hair and my knees buckled under me. Eric's arms tightened around me, and he slowly led us to the bed. His shirt was already on the floor, and he slid my skirt off of me as he walked us to his bed. My hands fumbled with his belt buckle, and then his jean buttons as he ripped my underwear off of me. We tumbled gracefully onto the bed, our hands memorizing the other's topography. He removed himself from my embrace and slid his boxers off, and then all but ripped my bra off. He lifted his head and kissed my lips again, his tongue running along my fangs and eliciting an involuntary moan from me. He moaned my name, like prayer. God, he was beautiful. His fingers trailed down the length of my body, across my stomach, and still lower until he reached my core. His touch set me on fire, a line of heat that threatened to overwhelm me. His finger teased me, touching me, then pulling back, and repeating the motion until I was begging for his touch.

"Say it," he grunted, his lips against my ear.

"Eric," I gasped needlessly, "I love you." He smiled and slid two fingers inside of me. I bucked against him, and he continued rubbing me, his fingers moving in a way that made me want to scream. He added another finger and pushed me closer to the edge, all the while murmuring things to me, sweet things and dirty things, beautiful things and erotic ones. He sensed my release and moved down, pressing his lips against my inner thigh.

"Watch me, lover," he instructed softly. I lifted my head up with a moan, and his eyes held me frozen in place. Pleased that I was doing as he wanted, his fingers began moving faster and faster, and suddenly he bit me, sinking his teeth into my femoral artery. I growled (a sound that surprised me), before being catapulted off the edge with his name on my lips. He entered me while I was still screaming, and began moving back and forth, his hips grinding against mine as my muscles spasmed and contracted around him. His climax came soon after mine, and he collapsed on top of me. We stayed like that for a long time, Eric's head on my chest, his hips between my legs. I was strangely comfortable. Not needing to breath will do that to you, evidently. He finally rolled off of me to lie beside me, and I rested my head on his chest with my arm resting across his chest. Eric kissed my hair.

"How are you feeling?" His chest rumbled under my head, and I smiled a bit at that.

"I don't know," I frowned, my smile disappearing, "I feel fine, physically."

"I'm sorry."

"It wasn't your fault!"

"Maybe not," he stroked my hair absentmindedly, "But I should have protected you, I should have saved you! Instead I contributed to your death." I sat up, shaking my head at him before he was even done.

"Stop it!" I was losing it, my voice trembling but getting louder all the same, "I've lost count of the number of times you saved my life, the number of times you were there for me! Stop blaming yourself. Blame de Castro, blame Victor, hell, blame _me_, just stop..." My throat closed entirely, and I looked down at my hands as crimson tears fell into the white sheets, staining them. My shoulders shook with the force of my sobs, but I couldn't stop. Eric pulled me into his arms, rocking me back and forth in an attempt to calm me down, but I was too far gone.

"I'm dead! Sweet Jesus, I'm really dead. I won't ever breathe, or eat, or see the sunlight... Sam won't ever look at me the same way again... or Jason... or Amelia. Oh _God_, Eric, what do I do?!" I clung to my lover, shaking in his arms with the force of my sorrow. I shed bloody tears until my entire body ached, until I had no more tears to shed, until I had come to accept my every loss. I pulled back to see Eric's face stained with tears just as mine must have been. I hated seeing his tears. He had lived far too long, seen far too much to cry over me. I hated seeing him break, hated being the cause of his sadness. I began kissing his face, wiping away his tears just as he had done mine not a week ago. I kissed every inch of his face, saving his lips for last.

"I love you, Eric."

"I love you, too, lover. You know that." I nodded.

"What do we do now?"

"Now, my love, we will kick some vampire ass." Eric grinned at me, displaying his extended fangs.

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A/N: Eric biting Sookie only enhanced their sex, because we all know in CH's world drinking their blood is pleasurable for a vampire. Just wanted to be proactive and address that.


	8. Chapter 8

**Life Goes On **by PersianFreak

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Charlaine Harris. Please don't sue.

Rating: T

A/N: I really love this chapter, and I don't know why. Sorry for the delay, y'all. I was out of town. Here is a seven-page chapter to make you guys forgive me. Again, reviews are welcome (read: moar reviews plz, I'm hooked!) and make me all warm and fuzzy inside. Thanks to everyone who made me laugh or go 'awwwwwww' with their kind words.

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"_Now, my love, we will kick some vampire ass." Eric grinned at me, displaying his extended fangs._

"But first thing's first," he grabbed my hand and pulled me towards a set of French doors I had ignored before. _Of course_, I thought as he led me through the door. A bathroom, but not just any bathroom. This room was as big as the bedroom, and included a large bathtub (complete with jets), his-and-hers sinks, a beautiful shower with the showerhead protruding from the ceiling, and even a toilet. I wondered briefly why Eric would need a toilet before realizing that it was probably for his human... uh... _companions_. I dismissed that thought, but kept staring at the toilet: it was no longer of any use to me. Huh. That would take some getting used to, and I would have to find another lie to excuse myself from awkward situations. I would also never get my period again, like some sort of early menopause minus the hot flashes, and I would never have children. My mind blanked in shock as the thought hit me like a brick wall. I shouldn't have been that surprised; being with Eric meant not having kids, but that didn't mean I had entirely given up on the possibility of it. I had thought that maybe someday, somehow... I shook my head. Too late for that. Add infertility to the long list of side-effects that accompanied death. I tried to hold back the fresh wave of tears that threatened to fall, biting the inside of my cheek to distract myself, but Eric already knew something was up.

"Darling?" Eric looked from me to the toilet, his brows furrowing as he did so, "what is it?" He probed at the bond, but I shut him down. I didn't want him to know, to be sad for me. I sniffed and shook off the melancholy before facing him. Oh whoops: he actually looked hurt.

"I'm sorry, okay?" I touched the side of his face and he nodded at me, "This is gonna take some getting used to. Until then, I'm going to be the world's weepiest vampire." He looked satisfied and actually chuckled before pulling me into the shower. I had all of thirty seconds to enjoy the actual shower (oh the things money can buy!) before I got side-tracked by Eric's hands moving up and down my body in that delicious way of his.

Afterwards, Eric wrapped us both in fluffy towels before disappearing. I was standing in the bedroom looking out at the city when he walked back in carrying my suitcase.

"They um, sent back your stuff."

"How thoughtful of them." Eric grunted and studied my expression carefully before plopping the suitcase on a nearby chair. "At least I have clothes." I grabbed some underwear from the suitcase, but realized I didn't want to wear my clothes. They brought back too many memories, too much nostalgia.

"Eric?" I called out uncertainly, "Can I borrow some clothes?" He nodded wordlessly and disappeared into the walk-in closet, appearing a moment later with a black v-neck shirt, identical to the red shirt he had worn the night he left for Vegas. It fit Eric perfectly, which of course meant that it looked like a mini-dress on me, complete with a low-cut collar. I chuckled at myself in the mirror: I actually looked good. My skin had lightened considerably, a look that I had always detested on myself, but now it looked fine. Better than 'fine'. My skin _glowed_, and I looked _good_! '_Sookie!'_ Eric's thought flashed across my mind again, startling me out of my reverie. The man himself stuck his head into the bathroom a moment later.

"Did you hear me just then?" I frowned and nodded at him.

"What was that for?"

"I was just... experimenting." He grinned sheepishly. "Can you hear all my thoughts?" _'You look beautiful, by the way'_ he added mentally.

"No, and thank you." He shot me a quizzical look and I continued, "I _can_ if I wanted to, but I really don't. I find I can... block your thoughts easier than before I-" I was going to say 'before I died', but changed my mind. "...easier than before." I finished lamely.

"How so?"

"Well, before, I had to put constant effort into shutting out people's thoughts. If I lost focus, the block would disappear. But now, with you, it's like an On/Off switch. I don't have to think about it constantly." He nodded thoughtfully.

"But you heard me just now." It wasn't a question, but I nodded 'yes' anyways.

"I think that was because you _sent_ me your thought, as opposed to just thinking it to yourself." Eric nodded again and stared at himself in the mirror unseeingly.

"I wonder if this will work for me."

"You've already proven you can read my mind." I was thinking back to the prison cell, how he had plucked my thoughts out of my head, but I snapped myself back to reality before I lost myself in that particular memory. Eric shook his head.

"No, I only get glimpses, like when your thoughts are particularly clear, but I wonder if we can communicate through our thoughts." A new thought occurred to me.

"But can't vampire sires communicate with their children?" I recalled practically seeing non-verbal conversations occur between two vampires.

"Well, yes, but that skill develops over time, it's not innate." I nodded. I suppose that made sense. "Try sending me a thought." I nodded hesitantly and shut my eyes. Reaching out to the bond, I formed a thought and hurled it at Eric.

"Whoa!" My eyes flew open to find Eric back against the wall, a startled look in his eyes.

"What did I do??"

"It's simpler than you think, Sookie," He looked amused now. "You don't need to put quite so much force behind it" _Oh, whoops_.

'_Sorry!' _I sent out to him, this time more gently. He grinned and stepped forward to kiss my forehead.

'_It's fine.'_

'_This is kinda cool!' _Finally, a silver lining! I felt Eric's mental laughter and grinned at him.

'_This is a very powerful asset, love, so we should be careful about whom we share this information with.' _I nodded. Another thought occurred to me and I stared at the floor, biting my lip absently.

"What is it, Dear One?" Eric put a finger under my chin and lifted my head so I was looking into his eyes.

'_I need to tell people about- about me.'_ He pulled me into his arms and I buried my face in his broad chest. _'There's so much I need to do!'_

"You do have a few days," he reminded me gently, "You can put it off until you feel you're ready."

"I don't know if I'll ever be ready." I admitted quietly, "How am I supposed to tell my brother? My boss? My friends? Oh God, Niall! And Claudine!" My eyes widened in horror. I was sure Claudine had felt the danger I had been in last night, but she hadn't shown because I was stuck in a room with five vampires, and now she wouldn't ever be able to because of my nature. And Niall... I didn't know him well enough to know what his reaction would be, but I was guessing he would _**not**_be pleased that his great granddaughter was turned into a vampire against her will.

"We will figure it out, Sookie," Eric cupped my cheek in one hand, "I promise you." He gently pressed his lips against mine and I buried myself once again in his arms, revelling in his use of 'we' as opposed to 'you'.

"I'm thirsty."

"Oh, yes," he disappeared in an instant, and came back with another blood bag (urgh!) within seconds. "Would you prefer a glass, this time?" He smirked playfully, and I smirked in return, revealing my suddenly-extended fangs and hissing at him. "Ooh, feisty!" I grabbed the blood from him forcefully, but paused. I had more of a hold on myself now, and could actually think about my hunger.

"Why not True Blood?" I inquired, frowning at the plastic bag.

"Because True Blood is not the best-tasting source of nutrition for us vampires." He took my hand and led me out of the bathroom as he continued talking. "Pure human blood is pretty hard to get, if you want to avoid directly... _acquiring_ it, which I guessed you would." He glanced at me from the corner of his eyes and found me smiling, so he went on, once again. "But it's not impossible so I had Pam get some for you. I didn't tell her for whom, she assumed it was for my own uses." He added hurriedly at my horrified expression. I nodded. Eric had led me out of his bedroom, and we were now climbing down a marble staircase. _Jesus Christ, this is where he lives?_ From what I could tell, the house wasn't as massive as some other vampire houses I had seen, but it _was_ modern and no expenses were spared in making it so. Everything outside of the single bedroom I had seen was white. There were a couple of other doors and a closet besides the master bedroom, but Eric ignored them. The walls were spotless, save for a few no-doubt-original-and-pricey paintings here and there, and there were marble vases on either side of staircase itself. The living room/dining room was at the bottom of the staircase, and it was entirely decked out in modern decor. A black leather couch and matching armchairs were gathered around a state-of-the-art flat-screen TV. The room was a home theatre, I gathered based on the multiple speakers. The dining table was glass with painted iron legs, while the chairs were white leather. The only splashes of colour were provided by the crimson accent pillows on the armchairs and a vase filled with roses on the dining room table. A wet bar dominated a corner of the room, effectively obliterating any need for a kitchen in a vampire's house. Just like in the master bedroom, most of one wall was glass and looked out at the city of Shreveport, lit up in the darkness. I assumed the glass would darken during the day. I raised my eyebrow at Eric and he grinned back, almost sheepishly.

"I don't spend much time here." He explained. _Ahhh_, I nodded to myself. That explained why it felt like I had stepped into page 35 of the Ikea catalogue. Eric snickered and I realized he had heard that little observation. "Come on." He pulled me away, back towards the staircase. He led us to the back of it, where, hidden from the view of the entire room, a single keypad was mounted on the wall. He quickly entered a number (I swear to God, it must have been 20 digits... and yet I picked up on all of it) and _an entire section of the wall slid back_ to reveal.... stairs. _Oh, okay_. That was less dramatic than I had imagined. There was another keypad at the bottom of the staircase, which was, by the way, dark as hell. Another 20-digit code and we were inside Eric's lair (heh. heh.). I stood there with my mouth hanging open for a full ten minutes before I pulled myself together. The basement was like a suite out of the Plaza, or what I assumed a suite at the plaza would be like. The room was magnificent! There was an even bigger TV down here, with an even more extensive home theatre system. A fridge with a glass door was filled to the limit with everything from Royalty Pure to True Blood. There was a pool table, and a dartboard, a state-of-the-art computer and several different gaming consoles. An entire wall was filled with books ranging from the Bible (wait, what?) to those new books with the sparkling vampires (Eric read those? I wondered which team he was on). Another wall housed a shelf with DVDs, thousands of them. There was so much in this room, but the sheer size of it made it feel less crowded. There were a set of French doors that lead to another master bedroom almost identical to the one upstairs, save for one difference: the bathroom didn't have a door. Of _course_. Eric left me to warm up my blood, but I followed him to the wet bar and settled myself on a bar stool, still craning my neck to take in everything. Having warmed up my dinner and his True Blood, Eric returned to me, leaning on the bar across from me.

"I like what you've done with the place." I grinned at him.

"I may have been born a thousand years ago, but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate modern toys." He smiled, a grin reminiscent of the weeks he spent with me. He looked like a little boy in a toy store, and I felt my lips turn up in a fond smile. He handed me my blood and I drained it in one go, shocking myself by doing so. "Better?"

"Yes," I smiled absentmindedly, "thank you."

"Out with it," Eric commanded, but he was smiling, and so was I.

"So, what does it mean, exactly," I began, not meeting his gaze, "you being my sire, I mean."

"You mean other than make for some fantastic dirty talk?" Eric's eyes sparkled invitingly, and I smacked him with vampire speed. "C'mon," he leaned towards me across the bar, "who's your sire?"

"Eric!" I smacked him again, and I'm sure I would have blushed had my heart been beating, but he was suddenly in front of me, his hips between my knees and his lips pressed against mine, his hands memorizing my body. "Oh, Eric..."

'_What does it mean for us?' _I pressed mentally because I found I liked the way his lips felt against mine far too much to actually speak. Eric groaned lightly and pulled away, perching himself on another barstool.

"It means," he began after giving me a long look of mock frustration, "that I have the power to Call you, to make you obey my commands. And to communicate with you non-verbally, with some practice, but you already knew that."

"And will you be drawing on that power?" I asked, my tone nonchalant.

"No," he responded carefully, "not unless I need to contact you in an emergency."

"Thank you." He nodded in acknowledgement. "I suppose I need to quit my job at Merlotte's." He raised an eyebrow at my sudden topic change, but didn't call me on it.

"You don't _have_ to, darling." I looked at him sharply.

"I thought you would be all for me leaving 'the shifter'!" Eric sighed, shaking his head.

"Everything is changing for you, Sookie," he began softly, "I don't mind if you want to hold on to some shred of your past. I think it'll be good for you, even."

"I don't think the people of Bon Temps will appreciate a vampire barmaid," I seethed, my voice barely controlled, "a telepathic vampire barmaid, at that."

"Of all the times to start being rational." He pulled me into his arms and I squeezed my eyes shut in an attempt to ward off the wave of sadness.

"Gon' have to move, too." I mumbled into his shirt, "and find a new house, and a new job, and some way to keep the house." I sighed and pulled back to find Eric frowning, deep in thought, so I thought I'd clear up that last thought. "It's been in my house for generations, after all."

"Move in with me."

"What??"

"Move in with me, Sookie," he pressed eagerly, "and you can work at Fangtasia, too!"

"Eric, I don't kno-"

"Think about it!" He commanded, still with the eager look in his eyes.

'_I don't know!'_

'_You love me.' _It was a statement, said with the easy confidence only a thousand-year-old being can possess.

'_Yes, but-'_

'_And you lived with me once.'_

'_But _work_ for you? Like the boss' fancy woman?'_

'_No, you can be my new Human Resources girl.' _He grinned irresistibly, and I found my qualms dwindling.

'_We'll split living costs?' _I was still uncertain, but it was so hard saying no to him when he was like this. When he was this... _happy_. He nodded at me with the world's goofiest grin.

"And I pay well," he assured me, and when he felt my pride swell up, immediately added, "y'know, generally. To all my employees. So I wouldn't be setting you apart, just treating you like everybody else." My pride simmered down. "And I'm sure Amelia will want to keep renting your grandmother's house, won't she?"

"I guess I need to talk to her about that." I nodded absently. _God, so much I need to figure out._

'_No, so much _we_ need to figure out.' _He corrected gently.

'_Right, yeah.'_ I smiled at him and stood on my toes to kiss him.

"I really do love you, Eric," I murmured, "with all my heart."

'_I love you, too, my little telepath.'_ I could feel how happy he was, how blissfully peaceful.

"_NORTHMAN!_" I almost fell off the stool I was still perched on, but Eric caught me before spinning around to face the source of the voice.

"Grandfather!" I looked like I'd just seen a ghost, I'm sure of it. _Or a fairy_, I corrected grimly, because that's what it was. My grandfather had appeared in the middle of Eric's basement, with complete disregard for the two locked doors, and, well, Eric's _privacy_. The latter seemed to agree with me, because he was now _crouching_ in attack-mode, with fangs fully extracted.

"_You __**turned**__her? __**Against her will????**_" My great grandfather roared. Well, he didn't _roar_. His face was calm, but his eyes burned with fury, and he wasn't really yelling, but his voice echoed around the room, magnified a dozen times and acutely painful to my now-sensitive ears. The entire room was actually shaking with the force of his emotions, and I began to worry about the structural integrity of the building: was everything about to collapse over our heads?

"Niall, calm _down_!" I begged. I wasn't sure of his powers, but I definitely did not want to see a fairy prince open a can of whup-ass. Or whatever it is he was planning to do to Eric. "Hear me out first." Niall's eyes flicked over to me sharply, and he seemed to calm down a little bit.

"Speak." He commanded, his rage almost fully reined in. So I did. I told him the entire story, about how I was given a choice, how I picked the lesser of two evils. By the time I was done, Eric's stance was relaxed and Niall- Well, Niall had cooled down, but perhaps a little too much. His eyes, once burning with anger, were now glacial.

"They attacked one with royal fae blood," he stated calmly, "this means war." Eric grinned, his fangs once again extracted in his enthusiasm for a good fight.

"What, no!" I looked back and forth between my boyfriend and my grandfather, who were suddenly deeply engaged in war strategies. "Grandfather!" Nope, no effect. "_**ERIC!**_" The two men paused and looked at me in surprise. "I don't want to start a war!"

"You're part-fae," Niall maintained calmly, "there will be consequences."

"That's fine, but not a _war!_" I looked back to Eric, who was about to try and reason with me. "Eric, Felipe made it personal, and I want to keep it that way! I don't want innocent people to die because I was unlucky enough to get dragged into vampire politics." Eric once again opened his mouth but I cut him off once more. "You want to take de Castro out? Be my guest. Hell, take Victor and Sandy, too, but don't drag others into it." The two regarded me wordlessly for a long time, during which I began to feel self-conscious.

"Can we do it?" Eric asked Niall, "Infiltrate the King's headquarters and take out him and his highest-ranking officers without leaving a trace?"

"It can be done." Niall nodded, "We should attack during the day." But Eric had other ideas.

"No, I need to be there." His tone left no room for argument, but I opened my mouth to protest anyways; Niall beat me to it.

"We have a higher chance of succeeding during the day," Niall pointed out dryly.

"Too bad," Eric's jaw was tensed, letting me know he wasn't about to budge one bit. "I'm not going to sit back and let you have all the fun, not when he attacked me, too."

"Eric, don't." I interrupted quietly.

"Sookie, I was supposed to protect you, and I failed." His tone was calm, but the bond was in chaos with the force of his desperation. "I need to do this."

"No, you don't!" I insisted, my desperation matching his. "They can do it and get away with it, but for you it's suicide!" I gestured towards Niall.

"There is no danger!" He was lying to me. God, did he not see that I could see _right_ through him? I decided on a change of tactics.

"Fine, then I'm coming with you." Niall raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything.

"What, no!"

"I'm more involved than you are!" I pressed, mimicking Niall's calm tone.

"Sookie, this is dangerous and irrational and you _know_ it!"

"I thought you said there was no danger." Silence. I noticed Niall smirking out in my peripheral vision, and I began to as well, knowing that I had talked Eric into a corner. Eric stared at me, his mouth opening several times to argue, but never actually succeeding.

"Either there's no danger, in which case I should be there to fight with you," I began gently, walking forward to stroke the side of his face with the palm of one hand, "or there _is_ danger, in which case you should stay with me, so we can sit back and feel like useless idiots together." I smiled at him sadly. "Please, Eric?" I gave him my most heart-wrenching puppy dog eyes and touched his lips lightly with my thumb. _'I couldn't bear it if I lost you. Please?'_

"Urgh, FINE!" I grinned and looked back at Niall, who did not seem pleased that we had ignored him. "But I still want de Castro." Eric turned to Niall. "Can you bring him back to me?"

"What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking that de Castro deserves special treatment." Eric smirked. "I'm thinking we should make his death a little more... _excruciating_." Niall seemed pleased with that alternative because he inclined his head.

"Seems fair. I will take care of his highest-ranking officers in Las Vegas, then bring him back here for you. We will need a few days to plan." I wasn't sure who he meant by 'we', but I didn't quite care, either. "I will keep you posted." And with that, my great grandfather disappeared. I walked over to the leather couch and plopped down onto it. What was happening to me? How come I wasn't horrified at the concept of my loved ones _torturing_ and then killing another being? How was it that I was absolutely fine with the concept of murder all of a sudden? _What's happening is that you want revenge, _I supplied myself,_ you want the ones who contributed to your death to die. _Is that what I was becoming? A vengeful, violent creature? Whatever happened to 'forgive and forget'? What would Gran say if she saw me now? How would she react to her innocent little Sookie calmly planning murder?

'_I don't think your Gran would want you to sit back and let your murderers walk away, love.' _This voice belonged to Eric, who had settled down beside me with his arms wrapped around my waist.

"I'm just not sure I like what I'm turning into!"

"Sookie, just because you want the bastard's head on a platter doesn't mean you're becoming a serial killer!"

"But I'm okay with you torturing a man! I could force you to just kill him, but I'm not, and the worst part is that _I don't want to!!_"

"Look at me," Eric ordered gently, "Sookie, look at me!" I reluctantly turned my head to face him. "You are not a cruel bloodthirsty creature, Sookie."

"Coulda fooled me." I mumbled, and he smacked my shoulder lightly.

"But you are not a saint," he continued as if I hadn't interrupted him, "and you were treated unfairly. Horribly, in fact, and you deserve justice."

"So I have to take it into my own hands??"

"Yes," he responded calmly and I looked up, startled. "Because that's the only way you're going to get it. No vampire is going to prosecute a King for forcing me to turn you, and no human has the authority or the power to do it. That just leaves one option." I nodded glumly and Eric chuckled, pressing his lips against my cheek. "My Sookie," he murmured into my skin, "my darling." I smiled. I loved it when he called me these things. It was so unlike him, so surprising to hear those words being uttered by a thousand-year-old Viking, and yet they melted my heart every time. I turned my face and kissed him sweetly, our lips meshing unhurriedly as we explored each other's mouths with our tongues. My hands were just about to pull Eric's shirt over his head when I froze, my entire body going rigid in alarm.

"Dawn is near." I announced, surprising myself for the second time that night. I yawned, which only surprised me more.

"Yes, it is." Eric grinned.

"I'm sleepy."

"I know, darling." He scooped me up into his arms without jostling me too much. He put me down on top of his bed, pulled back the covers and slid me under them. I patted the space beside me drowsily and he obliged, sliding in and pressing himself against my back, his arms around me once again.

"Will you stay with me until you fall asleep, too?" I asked quietly.

"Yes."

"Do you promise?" My words were starting to run together, but Eric understood.

"Promise." His lips pressed lightly against the back of my neck and I giggled: it tickled. "Sleep, my love."

So I did.


	9. Chapter 9

**Life Goes On **by PersianFreak

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Charlaine Harris. Please don't sue.

Rating: T

A/N: This chapter is written from Eric's point-of-view. Thank you for the reviews you guys!! As always, more reviews are always fantastic, so if you like my work, please let me know 

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I've gone mad. I was convinced of it; it was simply the only explanation. I had seen it happen to other vampires, where the burden of immortality became too much, where the person's brain became unable to accept watching time fly by without any visible changes on the vampire's being, where the brain simply... _snapped_. It happened more often than one would think.

And it had finally happened to me. It had taken a millennium, but it happened.

How else could one explain it? How else could anyone explain... _this_?

I was _in love_, deeply and tragically. My sanity (if not my entire existence) no longer dependant on myself; it weighed on the beautiful woman lying next to me. _Beautiful vampire_, my mind corrected. Right, she is a vampire now. Forced to be one by those who believed themselves superior to her, and who believed her to be simply an asset; a chess piece in the political game, one whose mortality had quickly become a disadvantage, but then again, such problems could be solved rather easily, can they not? I gritted my jaw as the anger hit me once again; anger at the man to whom I had pledged my allegiance, the man who had returned in kind by hurting my beloved and by threatening _me_.

Deep breathe; calm.

If I were to be honest with myself, I would say that a small part of me was glad.

A small part of me rejoiced that Sookie was no longer human, that her existence on Earth would not be cut short, that she would be able to remain here... with me.

I knew I shouldn't be. Her life was taken from her against her will. She had been given no choice, no other path... merely death.

And yet I knew: had de Castro not forced me to change Sookie, a day would have come when I would have asked her myself. She was aware of this but had yet to acknowledge it. And I knew, without any doubt, that someday I would have gotten down on bended knee and _pleaded_ with her, if that's what it would have taken for her to agree. I would forego my pride (me, the thousand-year-old Viking) and beg, if it meant her immortality.

God, what had she done to me?

I thought back to the first night I ever lay eyes on her: wearing that beautiful white dress, in the arms of that worthless cu- I mean, in the arms of William Compton. The glint of determination in her eyes as she questioned Long Shadow regarding the murdered girls (pathetic creatures in all honesty, and yet she had to clear her brother's name), and then Pam and I. The way she regarded me, and yet clung loyally to Compton in order to show her preferences. Hah! She defied me. The girl actually _defied_ me, proving unaffected by the glamour, and remaining with her escort, however awkward that relationship had seemed to me.

And yet...

And yet I had found myself thinking about her. It was a fleeting thought as I walked by the bar one night: '_The girl drank a gin and tonic._', but it was more than thought than I had ever given a human who had not given herself to me immediately and enthusiastically.

How strange.

How strange that I had been forced to seduce her for months before she finally gave herself to me. I laughed, shaking my head as I regarded her: _Of course!_ Of _course_ she would only yield to me when I would have no memory of it. Of _course _she would only fall in love with me when I would have no recollection of it. My laughter died out as I continued to regard her, now soberly. Of _course _I would only fall in love with her when my mind was incapable of holding on to the memory. I shook my head once more. Difficult girl. Impossible, as a matter of fact. She was never easily persuaded. She always had to fight, against everyone and everything. Most of all against me, but then again, that was why I had fallen so hard for her. Her _spark_. Her... insanity. I smiled at her sleeping form, stroking her hair. Her inherent ability to drive me insane, to make me question the very foundations of my existence. She made me want to be _different_. How absurd, that I had lived a thousand years, revelling in my survival skills, only to have a beautiful blonde make me want to change for her, to become better for her.

And I already was, to tell the truth.

It was shocking, how easy it was to be kind to her, to show her that I loved her.

It was shockingly easy to call her my darling, to hold her while she wept, to have her share my thoughts.

I found myself wondering how I had lived without her.

I found myself needing to hear her say 'I love you', to have her whisper my name as she clung to me, to... _be_ with her.

God, what has she done to me?

Shaking my head once again, I remembered I had something to do. I slid out of bed and pulled out my cellphone, quickly dialling my day man's number. I left him a message with a few errands I wanted him to run before sliding my phone shut and returning to bed. As I wrapped Sookie once again in my arms, I felt sleep begin to claim me.


	10. Chapter 10

**Life Goes On **by PersianFreak

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Charlaine Harris. Please don't sue.

Rating: M

A/N: Another short chapter, but I updated... what, two days ago? Another thing: guys, I do realize that Eric is acting differently from the Eric we all know and love, but I fully intended for it to be that way. Trust me, Sherriff Northman will make another appearance, as will Badass!Eric  As always, thank you so much for the reviews; they really do make a difference, so more are always welcome! And now, without further ado...

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I awoke to the sound of running water.

It was a strange feeling; waking up from my daytime slumber. There was no grogginess, just a sudden transformation from unconsciousness to consciousness.

I took a deep breath, testing the scents in the air. Soap. A small part of my brain realized that I could smell all the ingredients used to make it, and that they were all organic in order to ensure their scent wouldn't be repulsive to a vampire. _Eric's in the shower!_ The thought snapped across my mind. A devilish grin spread across my face and I jumped out of bed, undressing as I headed towards the heavenly shower with the Godly creature inside of it.

"May I join you?" I purred as I opened the glass door, already fogged over with the steam.

"Good evening, lover." Eric's voice rumbled in his chest, where my hands were now resting. "And you can join me in any activities that do not require clothing whenever you please." He grinned at me, his blue eyes sparkling roguishly.

"Are you sure? 'Cause I can leave-" I reached for the door but his hands encircled my wrist and pulled me back, pinning me against the shower wall. His lips sought mine as he pressed himself against me, his hands at first resting on my shoulders and then, as the kiss deepened, slipping down my arms to rest on my hips.

"Now, what kind of a host would I be if I let you leave?" He smirked against my lips. At the same time, he grinded against me, making me gasp in shock and pleasure. Chuckling darkly, he let one hand travel down between my legs to roll my clit between his thumb and index finger. I moaned his name and he returned in kind, moaning my name as his talented fingers dipped into my core. He continued like that, his lips nipping at my neck, then at my nipples, all the while his fingers set me on fire. I could feel my climax approaching; my most coherent thoughts scattering, leaving only him. Only Eric, and the way his skin felt against mine, his lips against mine, his- _Oh God_.

"_Eric_," I moaned, my voice rising in pitch with my looming orgasm. "Please..." His only response was a grunt as he removed his fingers, and I barely had time to miss his hand before he was inside of me, thrusting fast and deep. I dug my fingers into his back, throwing my head back as stars exploded in front of my eyes and I screamed his name as I came with him inside of me. With a roar that reverberated in the bathroom, his climax came and, still against the wall, we slid down to tangle gracefully on the shower floor. We stayed there for a long time, nuzzling as the bond stopped crackling with the energy of our pairing and eventually calmed. We finally got to the _actual_ showering: shampooing each other's hair and cleaning the other's body, letting our hands linger longer than necessary as we did, letting our lips traverse the other's body.

_'I love you.' _ He kissed me gently, pressing his lips to mine several times before breaking away. I sighed happily as I turned off the water.

"We probably used up all the hot water." I smiled.

"Well, there _was_ two of us!" Eric grinned at me, a sincere grin that made the corners of his eyes crinkle and my undead heart thrill. We eventually made it out to the bedroom, where, for the first time I noticed my suitcase and purse lying in the corner next to the walk-in closet. A quick glance inside revealed that half of the closet was filled with Eric's high-end designer clothes and shoes, while the other half remained barren, as if awaiting a new owner.

"I thought you might appreciate some space for your new clothes." Eric had come up behind me, embracing me from the back.

"My new clothes?" I twisted in his arms to put my arms around his neck.

"Well, I noticed you didn't want to wear your old clothes."

"Yyyes?" I nodded in an attempt to make him continue.

"So I got my day man to pick up a few items for you." I frowned, already unhappy with the prospect of Eric buying me expensive clothing (for I was sure that's what it was, high-end, expensive designer clothes, just like his own).

"Where?" I asked crossly.

"Oh come on, Sookie," he sighed, exasperated, "We discussed this! Anything smaller than a car is fair game."

"Yes," I conceded, "but that doesn't mean I'm going to be happy about you blowing your money for me." Eric gave me a sour look before leading me, still wrapped in a towel, to the suite living room. There were a few bags on the bar, all with brand names printed on them and fancy tissue paper spilling out of them. I shot Eric a look before picking up the bags and taking them to the couch, where I settled myself down carefully in order to avoid the towel falling away. Then, bracing myself, I started to look through the bags. The first bag held casual clothes: fitted jeans in a dark wash, denim shorts in a lighter wash, a beautiful white sleeveless top in a soft fabric that would cling to me in all the right places. My jaw dropped. I looked at Eric with my eyes wide; he was leaning back on the couch in a pair of black sweater pants, watching me. When I met his gaze, he nodded at the other bags with a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Go on. There's more." I turned back to my new clothes. There was so much more; beautiful dresses, more jeans, pants, silk blouses, a pair of ballet flats and another of simple-yet-elegant black heels, and even (and I blushed as I saw this) sexy lingerie.

_'You got your day man to pick up lingerie for me?'_ Eric leered suggestively and I shook my head, but my heart wasn't really in it. Just the fact that he had picked up on my avoidance of my old clothes (my _human_ clothes), and that he had gotten one of his employees to pick up these beautiful clothes for me just to make me happy... I shook my head again. I had told him that I wanted my Eric back, that I didn't want to date the powerful Sherriff Northman, that he had too much baggage for me to deal with, and yet, through an ironic twist of fate _I _had ended up being the one with the baggage, while he had given me back my old Eric.

_'Thank you, Eric.' _He leaned forward and put his arms around me.

_'I knew I could change your mind.'_

_'These are all...' _I shook my head again, something I'd been doing a lot of that night.

"Beautiful?" he supplied, "Yes, you are."

"That is _such_ a line, Mr. Northman."

"Just because it's a line doesn't mean it's-" I interrupted him with a kiss. "Well, it got me a kiss."

"You're terrible." I went back to my clothes, trying to pick something to wear.

"Sookie," he began cautiously, and I looked up, surprised at his tone. "I need to go to Fangtasia tonight."

"Oh," I hadn't even thought about Eric's work, but of course he wasn't going to hang around the house until I felt ready to go out and face people. _Silly Sookie_, I chastised myself.

"Would you like to accompany me? It's fine if you don't." He added gently.

"Nono, it's-" I took a deep breath, a breath I didn't need. "It's fine. I guess I should at least deal with the vampires I know." He studied my face carefully before nodding. I finally picked out my outfit and went to the bedroom to change and get ready while Eric made a phone call. From the other room, I could hear him telling Pam that he was back in town and would be dropping by Fangtasia tonight. I changed quickly and put on some makeup, drying and styling my hair swiftly. When I was all done, I took a minute to admire myself in the massive mirror. Huh. I looked...

"Whoa." I spun around to face Eric standing in the doorway.

"What?" I rechecked my outfit; I didn't see anything wrong with it. I had picked a black dress with a little Latin flair. There were ruffles lining the plunging neckline and the hem, and the black fabric clung to me beautifully, accentuating my curves, while the black heels made my legs look miles long. "It's a little risqué, but-"

"You are going to drive the fangbangers insane, lover." He mused, still staring at me, and I found myself smiling.

"Don't care about the fangbangers, Sherriff."

"Good, because I'm fully expecting some of them to cross the line when they see you looking like that." The glint in his eyes made shivers run down my spine and I felt my fangs extend, quickly followed by Eric's.

Thirty minutes later, I smoothed my hair and retouched my makeup as Eric got dressed in jeans and an azure blue polo shirt that made his eyes glow strikingly. I grabbed my purse, and, out of habit checked my phone. Crap, two missed calls from Amelia. I sighed. If I didn't call her back, it would get her feelings hurt and she might get worried about me, on the other hand, if I _did _call her back... I wasn't sure I would be able to handle having a normal conversation with her without bursting into tears. I looked up to find Eric watching me.

"I have to call her, Eric," I whispered.

"Go ahead," he nodded encouragingly, "I'll wait here." He settled on the couch and smiled at me. I hesitantly dialled and put the phone to my ear. _Ring_. Here we go... _Ring_. She might not be home... I hadn't considered that possibility. _Ring_. One more and the message will get it. _Ri_-

"Sookie?" Amelia sounded out of breathe, but the pleased tone in her voice was unmistakable.

"Hey, Amelia!" I willed my voice to sound light and cheery.

"Where have you been? I called you twice!"

"I know, I'm sorry! I've just been busy, and I _just_ saw I missed your calls!"

"Humph," she didn't sound very convinced. "How's Eric?"

"He's... fine." I answered hesitantly.

"No, I mean _how_ is he?"

"_Amelia!_" She giggled gleefully. I found myself smiling at her. "He's fantastic, just so you know." Eric flashed me a grin and I smirked at him before turning my back on him and perching on one of the bar stools. Having finished 'oooh'ing, Amelia once again found words.

"So when are you getting back? It's awful lonely around here without you." I felt my throat close, but I swallowed back the sadness.

"Um, a few more days, I think." I lied smoothly, "I'm not really quite sure." We continued on talking for a while about mundane things, how Sam was doing, how Tray was (even _how_ Tray was), how much fun I was having in Vegas (I barely suppressed a bitter laugh)... it was strange, talking to Amelia like nothing had changed. Like I would be going home any day now to live my life as it had been before, working at Merlotte's, cleaning, cooking. I had to shake myself out of my misery to say goodbye to Amelia before I lost control. Talking to her had not only made me nostalgic for my old life, it made me miss her and fear the future even more. By the time I hung up, I was a quivering mass of repressed grief. I felt Eric's hand on my shoulder and I turned around and let him hold me and murmur comforting words to me until I was in control of myself.

"Fuck," I muttered and Eric chuckled, kissing my forehead. "I'm sorry."

_'For what?'_

_'For being such a gloomy girlfriend.' _I chuckled sheepishly. _'I wanted to make you happy-'_

_'You do make me happy,' _he interrupted simply. I smiled and breathed in his scent, my eyes closed.

"We should get going, love," he murmured gently and I pulled back, attempting a smile. Eric reached for my hand and began to lead the way upstairs. Once in the garage, he opened the door for me to get in, and then he headed towards Fangtasia, where I would make my debut as Sookie Stackhouse, Telepathic Vampire.


	11. Chapter 11

**Life Goes On **by PersianFreak

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Charlaine Harris. Please don't sue.

Rating: T

A/N: This chapter did not turn out the way I had planned, but I quite like this version of it regardless. Thank you guys so very much for all the fantastic reviews; they made me sit down and squeeze out another chapter even though I hadn't intended on it at all. Thank you to the fantastic people who review every time, and to the amazing 'newbies' that take the time to send me a shot of warm fuzzies. As always, more are welcome.

Enjoy.

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Eric's red Corvette zoomed through the streets of Shreveport and came to a screeching halt besides the Fangtasia employee entrance. Disconcertingly enough, I found I was no longer terrified of his insane driving, but rather enjoyed it. Where a few days ago I would have chastised him for taking so many chances and cutting his turns so close, I found my own hands tightening in anticipation of a day when I would get a chance to drive like that in such a fantastic car. I would have to ask him about that later, when I wasn't so anxious. Going to Fangtasia was slowly making me a nervous wreck of a vampire. I wondered about how Pam would feel when she saw that I had been changed, by her master, no less. Pam and I had always had a comfortable acquaintanceship (we weren't buddy-buddy, but she treated me fairly for a vampire, save for the occasional remark) and I wasn't sure if she would see me as her competition now, and I worried about that. Then there was the question of how the fangbangers would react to seeing their object of affections (or obsession) with someone else; someone whom, until a few days ago, had been a human just like them. And of course, there was the timeless fear of running into someone I did not anticipate (or appreciate) in the bar (say, Bill).

"Sookie," Eric began after he had safely parked his baby in the spot closest to the door, "I have a favour to ask of you." I turned in my seat to face him, my curiosity replacing anxiety. He mirrored my action and, seeing my attention fixed on him, Eric continued. "I don't expect you to agree with everything I say or intend to do. I sometimes wish you would, but I'm not a fool: I realize there is no way that you will become submissive to anyone, and even if there was, it was your pig-headedness that drew me to you in the first place and I wouldn't want to see you lose that." I waited. He was already aggravating me, but I swallowed down the protest forming to see where he was going with this. I nodded at him to continue. "And while I usually have no problems with you defying me personally, in the hierarchy of things I rank higher than you-"

"Because of your position as Sherriff?" I couldn't help interrupting with a hint of irritation in my voice, but he nodded slowly.

"Yes, that and my age. And as I said, while I have no problems with you defying me personally, having you do it in public is not something that will help my reputation."

"So, what," I began, choosing my words carefully, "you want me to be an obedient little girlfriend when we're with other vampires?"

"Yes, and before you start yelling at me," and here he smirked just a little, as if me yelling at him wasn't all that intimidating, "I know what you're going to say, Sookie. I know you're a modern woman, I know you are your own boss, and I know that you don't submit to anyone, but take a minute and think Sookie. I am asking you this as a favour to me. I am asking you to pretend to be under my power around others, and-"

"What if I refuse?" I asked quietly, but my gaze never wavered. Eric's eyes tightened and he regarded me silently.

"You know full well what would happen if you refused."

"I know what would happen to your reputation," I corrected in the same tone, "what would happen to _us_ if I refused?" He hesitated, his brows furrowing ever so slightly as he continued to regard me. At least, he exhaled forcefully and turned in his seat to face the front again, his hands clutching the steering wheel.

"Stop pushing me away, Sookie." He growled quietly. His reaction seemed so random that my growing irritation wavered and I stared at him.

"What?" He turned his head to look at me, and I saw in his eyes frustration, disappointment and... sadness.

"Stop testing my limits; _our_ limits. You spent months pushing me away. What did it achieve?" I stared at him, words having completely deserted me. Was I doing that? No, why would I? I loved Eric, didn't I? "What is it about me that makes you so defensive? What are you rebelling against?"

"I'm not! I don't-" I stopped at the look of defeat in his eyes. "Eric, I love you! You know that!"

"I know that. It doesn't stop you, however. You said you didn't want to deal with my 'baggage', and I let you get away with that. I tried to change. For the first time in hundreds of years I tried to be diplomatic with someone other than those with immense political power over me. It didn't make a difference though; you still don't trust me. You're going to push it until it breaks, and then you're going to tell yourself that I didn't put you first and that you want someone who's willing to sacrifice everything for you, just like you did with your other men."

"That's not fair, Eric," My voice rose in pitch, and tears threatened to fall but I pushed them aside. "What happened with Bill-"

"What happened with Bill saved you from having to pull your routine on him. With the tiger-"

"He betrayed me. He betrayed _you_! What the hell are you doing, defending him?"

"He chose to protect his damaged and defenceless family instead of you. You were protected by us, and he knew that." His eyes blazed with anger as he unintentionally crossed the line, "Would _you_ sacrifice someone who needed you for someone whom you've been with for only a few weeks?"

"How dare you!" I hissed, and then shook myself and forced myself to look at him before slowly adding, "Fuck you." And with that, I smoothly opened the door and let myself out. I heard him get out after me, calling my name, but I ignored him. A few more steps, however, and I spun around to face him.

"You know what, maybe you're right." He looked shocked, but I continued. "Maybe I do push away the ones that give a shit about me, but tell me something, Eric. What if you spent all your life seeing through everyone's bullshit without wanting to? What if you _knew_ when people lied to your face?" He tried to interrupt me, but I was having none of that. My rage was taking over me so that I didn't even notice my fangs extracting. "What if the two people who were supposed to take care of you were taken away when you were just a kid, and their replacement was also taken away because you associated yourself with someone who, in the end, turned out to have been lying to you for months? What if the only living relative you had was a good-for-nothing, selfish son-of-a-bitch who only bothered to keep in touch with you just to borrow money from you? So, yeah, maybe I had no right to dump 'the tiger', but look me in the eyes and tell me that I haven't been fucked over by life over and over again when I least expect it. Tell me that I don't have the right to find it hard to trust people, to want to make sure the people who say they give a shit about me actually _do_." The tender look was back in Eric's eyes and he reached for me but I jerked back, effectively erasing that look from his eyes and making them harden.

"Fine, yes, you do have the right." He said in a clipped tone, "but don't distrust _me_, Sookie. You _saw my soul_, for the love of Sjöfn. What excuse do you have for testing _me_?" I looked away, and he took that opportunity to step forward and place a finger under my chin, turning my head until I was looking into his gorgeous eyes. "What, Sookie?" He asked again. "What do I have to do to get you to realize..." It was his turn to look away.

"What?" I pressed gently. He looked at me with ancient eyes that made me feel juvenile and small.

"... How little power I have over myself when it comes to you." He chuckled to himself. I stared at him as I tried to digest his words. God damn it, he was right, he was always right.

"Alright." He raised his eyebrows in confusion.

"'Alright', what?"

"Alright, I'll pretend to not have a spine when we're around other vampires." Eric beamed at me, a vulnerable look that I was sure I would never grow accustomed to. He leaned down and, taking me into his arms, kissed me until my fangs (which had retracted when I calmed down) grew long for an entirely different reason. Having teased me until I was ready to rip the clothes off of him, he pulled back. I groaned, but he didn't lean back in. I sighed, pouting slightly.

"We should go." He chuckled at my expression and I stuck my tongue out at him, but I nodded as I was once again flooded with apprehension.

Eric, feeling my constant stream of anxiety and fear return, held my hand, rubbing circles on the back of it soothingly as we walked towards the bar.

"Ready?" he asked with a hint of mischief in his eyes. I shot him a calculating look and nodded. He was definitely way too happy to _unveil_ me. Regardless, Eric opened the door and stood aside to let me go inside first. I could hear the muted sounds of the bar, but more noticeable were the _thoughts_ of the patrons of the bar, human and vampire alike. I quickly threw up a wall to block out their thoughts and found it just as easy as it was with Eric. Having finally found something positive, I smiled tentatively at Eric, who grinned back at me, clearly excited like a little boy on Christmas morning. Eric lead me to his office, where I settled uneasily on the edge of his desk as he Called Pam. He then put his arms around me, kissing my hair comfortingly while we waited for Pam. Her knock came a second later, and Eric called for her to enter. My boyfriend's child walked in wearing one of her signature filmy black gowns and mischievous smirk to match Eric's. Her eyes roamed past me initially to meet Eric's and to bow to him, but something about the way I was wrapped in his arms made Pam's eyebrows rise, and then her eyes widened as she really saw me for the first time.

"Well, well," Pam murmured to herself, the corners of her mouth twisting up mockingly as she took me in, "Sookie, I see you have finally decided to join our ranks." Her eyes snapped to Eric's and her grin widened, "In more way than one."

_'Eric, are we going to tell her?' _I asked urgently, having just realized the need for a thorough discussion regarding just how much we would tell Pam.

_'Nothing about Vegas.I don't want to drag her down with us should things go wrong.' _While we had been communicating mentally, Pam's expression had become speculative.

"What, Pam?" Eric asked with a frown.

"I'm going to have to be more careful with the antagonism," Pam responded unhappily, "she can fight back now."


	12. Chapter 12

**Life Goes On **by PersianFreak

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Charlaine Harris. Please don't sue.

Rating: T

A/N: Second chapter of the day. See, this is what happens when I get reviews: I get productive. Um, reviews are lovely blah blah you guys are amazing etc., etc.  Enjoy.

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It was a great relief to see Pam react so well to the news. I was sure she had picked up on the fact that Eric had been the one to change me because of her comment, and the fact that Eric and I were now together seemed to thrill her (more opportunities for antagonizing Eric, apparently). I felt bad lying to her, however, about the details of my change. Eric calmly told her about my decision to join him like it was no big deal, and though she seemed reluctant to accept the fact that I had thrown my entire life away in a heartbeat (haha), she didn't question it. Eric, in an attempt to take my mind off the daunting prospect of going out to the bar, suggested that Pam explain my future job to me, and so Pam lead me out of Eric's office and into what I was told would be my office. The room was naturally smaller than Eric's office, but I didn't care. It was the typical Human Resources job, with interviewing potential employees and providing them with whatever services Fangtasia offered its employees, such as healthcare. It required a lot of dealings with vampires and humans alike (as I also had to coordinate the schedules for the vampires who were required to mingle in the bar in order to attract tourists), which Eric was confident I was very good at. It required 'diplomacy' which I possessed, or so they told me. I was set to start working on Tuesday night, as Fangtasia was closed on Mondays. Having put it off as long as possible, I returned to Eric's office: I knew he had to spend some time out in the bar, and considering I really didn't have anything left to do, I might as well have joined him.

"Hello, lover," he smiled as he came around his desk to kiss me an hour later when I walked back in, "I expect everything was to your liking?"

"Mm hmmm," I smiled against his lips.

"Are you ready to go to the bar?" I sighed and nodded, making my reluctance clear. He smiled and kissed me before taking my hand and leading me out the door. At the doorway to the bar, however, he paused, as if unsure of something.

"What is it?" I inquired, "What's wrong?"

"I've done something bad." He looked so guilty, like I had caught him with his hand in the cookie jar.

"What?" I frowned slightly. If he was feeling this guilty, it must be something bad.

"Well, I might as well show you." He took my hand once again and continued to lead us into the bar. The place was filled to the limit with fangbangers desperate for a lay (or a bite, or both) and vampires desperate for blood. There was loud dance music pumping out of the speakers, and business was booming. The humans' thoughts were sent into a fine frenzy with lust the moment Eric walked in, something I could feel despite my mindblock due to the large number of people and the severity of their thoughts. It took a few moments, but eyes eventually began drifting from the big, gorgeous Viking to the petite blonde next to him, and the connection was made. I had never thought it possible that an entire bar could go silent, but here I was proven wrong. The conversations died out, leaving just the heavy beat of the music, and heads turned to take us in before minds exploded with emotions ranging from amusement to envy to pure unadulterated loathing. It was shocking the effect I had on a roomful of people. I fortified my block, but I still had no difficulty whatsoever imagining what some of the men and women in the room were thinking if their expressions were any indication. Eric was sending soothing thoughts to me through the bond, something I appreciated until I lay eyes on what he had done. On the platform where Eric usually sat on his throne to observe the patrons I discovered the cause of his guilt: instead of the single throne, there was now a loveseat occupying the space. It was magnificent, naturally, with red velvet and gold worked into the wood, and it looked _majestic_.

_'Eric...' _I sent in a warning tone. _'What have you done?'_

_'I felt you deserved a place next to me!' _He defended meekly.

_'On a __**throne**__??? You want me to sit on a platform in front of these people? They already _hate_ me!'_

_'That's not true, I'm sure the straight men and the gay women have already joined your fan base.'_

_'This is __**not funny**_**, **_Eric!'_

_'I never said it was! You don't _have_ to always join me, I just thought you might want to sit beside me every now and then w-'_

_'While you enthral the vermin?' _I interrupted sourly.

_'-when and if you feel like doing so.' _He finished indignantly. _'How else am I supposed to show you off?'_ Oh that was just _low_. He was giving me an innocent look through his lashes as he guided me to his booth instead. Eric may have a lot of flaws (none of them physical) but he sure knew what to say to a girl to get her to calm down. I was about to respond when I was hit with a ton of bricks. A woman had walked by us, wearing the tiniest black dress possible and caked with makeup. Her hair was piled high on top of her head, and she surveyed the room with an intelligent gaze, but that's not what caught me off guard. My senses heightened and I could _smell_ her blood as she walked by our booth. I could practically see the artery in her neck, throbbing with sweet life, just begging for me to pounce and sink my- _Fuck!_ I snapped myself out of it, tearing my gaze away from her. I stared down at the table, shocked, as I waited for my fangs to retract. What the hell?

"Eric," I gasped, "what the hell just happened to me?" Eric looked at me sourly.

"_That _ was bloodlust," he explained crossly, "it's what happens when a newborn vampire doesn't feed, or when his or her sire fails to remind them to do so." He motioned at one of the waitresses, and she returned a second later with a bottle and a wine glass.

"Royalty Blended?" I read the label as she poured some into the glass, "that's too expensive, Eric, you don't have to-"

"Yes, I do," he snapped, and I shut up. He still looked pretty darn pissed off, but not at me. "I apologize. I need to be teaching you about what it's like, what being a vampire means, but you already know so much that I forget..." He shook his head and motioned for me to drink. I took a sip, a sip that exploded inside of me with magic and, satisfied, he continued. "It's natural for newborns to not notice their thirst. You're not used to it, and you don't expect it. Your body craves blood, but you've never had a need for it so your mind doesn't make the connection, so it's your sire's job to ensure you're sated." I nodded and took another sip.

"I can't always drink the fancy stuff," I argued calmly, "I'm sure True Blood will be just fine."

"The price is not a problem, Sookie." He matched my tone. "Other vampires tend to not care so much because we have no moral restraints against drinking from humans, but you do, and as my bonded, I will ensure that you are provided with your preference." I saw no use in protesting, so I continued to drink until I was sated.

"What about you?" He looked at me quizzically. "Aren't you thirsty?"

"I don't need to drink as much as you do."

"Still, you haven't had actual blood since, what, Friday?" I thought back and nodded to myself. "Two days ago. You should-"

"I'm perfectly fine right now." He shook his head.

"You don't have to do this," I carefully avoided his gaze. "I _have_ dated vampires before, you know."

"True," he conceded, "but I'm still not going to throw it in your face when it makes you uncomfortable." I considered that, but before I could question him further he slid out of the booth and offered me his hand. "Dance with me." The genre of the music had changed and the modern music was replaced with a ballad. I downed the last of my blood and let him lead the way onto the dance floor. He took me into his arms, both arms around my waist while I rested mine on his shoulders. I was well aware that we were the centre of attention, but I just didn't care. I was happy, dancing in the arms of the man who loved me. I rested my head against his chest and closed my eyes, enjoying the moment. I chuckled lightly.

"What?" He murmured into my hair.

"I was just thinking."

"About what?"

"About how hard I would have laughed if someone had told me I would fall in love with you one day."

"Hey!"

"Oh, seriously! Would you have believed it?" I lifted my head to face him.

"No." He admitted reluctantly, and, having proven my point, I ducked my head once again.

"I love you." I whispered against his chest.

"Sorry, what was that?" I lifted my head and stood on my tiptoes.

"I love you." I murmured into his ear.

"One more time." I smacked his shoulder lightly, having finally seen the light dancing in his eyes and he laughed.

"I love you, too, darling." I pressed my lips lightly to his and, once again, rested my head against his chest. I was reminiscing with a grin on my face when I felt Eric's mood change and his body tense. I lifted my head to see him giving something over my head a terrifying look. Following his gaze I found... Bill. I knew I had to take quick action if I didn't want Eric to stake Bill on the spot, so I spun around to face Eric.

"Let me talk to him." I said in my most persuasive voice.

"Sookie..." Eric growled unhappily.

"Please. Just give me ten minutes with him in your office. Please?" Eric shot another nasty look at Bill before nodding and returning to his booth. Making eye contact with Bill, I nodded to the back of the bar before heading that way myself.

_'If he upsets you, or touches you...' _

_'I will call you.' _I promised. '_I love you.'_ Eric's only response was an unhappy grunt, and I found myself smiling at him fondly. I knew without having to check that Bill was following me, and I led the way towards Eric's office. Once inside, I hoisted myself up on Eric's desk and waited for Bill to enter and for the shit to hit the fan. He entered a few seconds later, his dark eyes like an endless cavern with fury.

"He _turned_ you." He growled.

"Yes." I responded simply and calmly.

"Against your will." Bill knew me well enough to know I would never have done it otherwise, but agreeing with him would mean having to explain everything to him: something I couldn't do.

"No, I wanted him to turn me." That was true enough; I had wanted _Eric_ to turn me, as opposed to Victor doing it.

"Bullshit, Sookie." He snapped impatiently, his anger growing.

"Watch it, mister," I warned him, "this is none of your business!"

"You're okay with it? You're fine with him _killing you_?"

"He didn't do anything without my consent, William Compton, and don't you dare raise your voice at me!" Bill stared at me for a few more seconds, and then his eyes cooled.

"I knew he would hurt you in the end, but I didn't realize you would defend him." I froze.

"How _dare_ you!" I was practically shaking with anger, "You don't know _anything_, Bill! You have no right to judge me or my relationship. And here I was thinking you would show some restraint." I shook my head disbelievingly. Bill studied me, suddenly calm.

"Are you happy? Does he make you happy?"

"Yes."

"Happier than I made you?"

"Bill..."

"Then I have no business intruding." He had gained control of his emotions, and his voice was cool and calm once more. I did a double-take, surprised by his sudden mood change. "In fact, that's why I came here tonight. I'm leaving, Sookie."


	13. Chapter 13

**Life Goes On **by PersianFreak

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Charlaine Harris. Please don't sue.

Rating: M

A/N: I'm kinda falling even further in love with Eric, you guys. Anyways, here be ESN. Also, I know I say this every time, but thank you so much for the amazing reviews!! This last batch was pure self-esteem booster :P Feel free to review (MOAR!). Ahem. Enjoy.

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_"I'm leaving, Sookie." _

I sat frozen for about 30 seconds, blinking and trying to comprehend Bill's words.

_'What's happened?' _Eric called mentally, no doubt feeling my thoughts scattering, _'should I get a stake?'_

_'No!' _I sent back, horrified, _'Patience, Sherriff!'_

"But... this is your home!" I stated slowly, "Bon Temps is your home!"

"Yes," He nodded slowly, "but I had never planned on coming back in the first place, Sookie. I came back because of Sophie-Ann." Oh, _ouch_.

"Right, how could I forget." I responded acidly.

"That's not what I meant, Soo-"

"Oh, no, don't worry about it," I interrupted coolly, "I understand."

"I..." he stopped himself and began again. "I wanted to apologize for my outburst on Thursday. It was not my place to... say those things." Bill had his pride, like me, and I realized how much courage it was taking for him to apologize to me when I was sure his feelings had not changed in the slightest. His attempt made me soften.

"I accept your apology, Bill," With my anger gone, the full meaning of his words was starting to hit home. "But you don't have to leave, I'm sure we could find a way to remain friends!" The look in his eyes left me suddenly unsure of my own words, "Can't we?"

"You can't expect me to stay and watch you with him, Sookie," He reasoned softly, "not when you know I care about you this way." Nodding, I considered his words: he was right. I knew he loved me, and I was well aware that he wanted me back, but I had also made it clear to him that there was no hope, even before I got together with Eric. I had been hurt, no, torn apart by his words and actions and I had sewn myself back together and moved on, but he had not. Having him stay, now that I was a vampire as well as in love with Eric... it would be selfish of me to ask that of him. Despite what had happened between us, I still wanted him to be happy, especially now that I was. The sadness I felt, however, surprised me. I nodded once more and hopped off the desk, pulling him into my arms. I could feel his shock at my actions, but eventually he put his arms around me, too. We stayed that way for a few minutes, but eventually I pulled back and tried to smile at him without letting him see my tears; I could have sworn his eyes were rimmed in red, too.

"So where are you going? What are you gonna do with the house?"

"I thought I would go to Asia and try to add to my database," I nodded. That seemed logical: once you've got all the vamps in the Americas, naturally you would move on to the other continents. "And I'm hiring a cleaning service to take care of the house while I'm gone. I shouldn't be away for longer than a few years." He answered my unasked question, and I found myself nodding once again.

"When are you leaving?"

"Tonight."

"Oh..." I bit back the fresh wave of sadness.

"Don't be sad, Sookie," Bill tucked a piece of my hair behind my ear; he had always loved my hair.

"Keep in touch, okay?" He smiled a little and nodded his head. "And be happy. Try to, at least. You deserve it."

"Thank you, sweetheart." He leaned forward and kissed my forehead lightly. "I should go before Eric goes on a killing spree." I smiled and nodded; that's what I had just been thinking.

"Bye, Bill."

"Good bye, Sookie." And with that, my first love walked out of my life.

***

I killed some time in Eric's office, trying to pull myself together. I had meant it when I said I wanted us to find some way to be friends because I had gotten over the hate I felt towards Bill. I still cared for him, but no longer in the way he wanted me to, and his departure left me feeling like a part of me was missing. What's worse, I thought he must be thinking, is that I became a vampire, but for someone other than him.

"Sookie," I whirled around; Eric was leaning against the doorframe. Quickly covering the several feet between us, I threw myself into his arms. "I'm sorry." I nodded against his chest but didn't say anything.

_'He's gone.'_

_'I know.'_

_'You knew?!'_

_'He just told me.'_

_'Oh... should I be happy?' _I felt his mental laughter before he responded.

_'I wish you would be, but it's okay if you are not.'_

_'Sorry.'_

_'What for this time?'_

_'For crying over another guy.'_ This time, his body shook with his laughter. I pulled back and grinned, my mood lightening because of his reaction.

"You are forgiven," and then he kissed me to show me just how forgiven I was. Eric's shirt was on the floor and my hand was halfway down his pants when his phone cell phone began ringing.

"Shit." I hissed.

"Leave it!" His mouth claimed mine again. The phone rang again.

"What if it's Niall?" We both froze, and with a groan Eric pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. He frowned at the screen and finally answered.

"Yes?" He listened for a moment, before giving whoever was on the line an address and instructions to get in the building. There was another long pause, and then "Don't start without me." Eric hung up and grinned at me, his fangs extended and an alarming glint in his eye.

"What is it?" I asked hesitantly.

"Tomorrow night will be de Castro's last." And with that, we picked up where we left off.

***

"What did Niall say?" I asked half an hour later while Eric drew patterns on my bare skin. We were lying on the leather couch in Eric's office, having ensured that the door was safely locked.

"Him and his best fighters are infiltrating Felipe's headquarters tomorrow, during the day." He told me absentmindedly, "they will kill his highest ranking officers as planned, and take de Castro to the address I gave him where they will await my arrival." I chewed that over and finally nodded. Though I trusted Niall and his skills, I found myself worried for my great grandfather. I knew it was pointless worrying about a fairy prince, but my worry prevailed regardless.

"They'll be fine," Eric literally read my mind.

"I know, but I'm still going to worry until it's all over."

"You're going to be the first vampire to worry herself to death, Sookie." I laughed out loud at how possible that was.

"Can we go home?" I asked hopefully; it felt like I had been here for ages.

"If you wish," Eric got up the couch and pulled on his jeans (did I mention he had gone commando?) before rummaging around for my underwear. In an attempt to avoid Eric ripping my underwear off of me I had taken them off myself, but I couldn't remember where I had tossed them. He found my panties behind his desk and my bra hanging off a shelf and returned them to me, watching unhappily as I got redressed. "Oh, and don't think I didn't smell Compton all over you, because I did." I chuckled and slid my dress on.

"Yeah, well, I only smell of you now."

"Yeah, well, let's keep it that way, lover." He retorted with a definite nod. I shook my head again and looked for my purse, which Eric handed to me, before heading out. I waited by the car while Eric let Pam know he was leaving, enjoying the cool night air and the night sky with my brand-spanking-new night vision. I had never realized how beautiful the night was, how utterly magnificent... I missed sunlight, I knew that, and yet I found myself marvelling at the fact that I was now a creature of the night, and I would remain one for all eternity, at Eric's side. I smiled fondly as I thought back to all the times I had shared with Eric, all the times he made me smile and feel loved and cherished.

"I certainly hope you're thinking about me with that grin on your face." Eric stepped out of the shadows.

"Nope, about Bill." I deadpanned and got into the car. He growled and stole a kiss before walking to the other side of the car and getting in his own seat.

"You are a horrible woman, Sookie Stackhouse." He announced as he pulled out of the parking spot.

"But you love me regardless." I grinned.

"That's because I still have a theory that you have more powers than you let on and made me fall in love with you so you could keep me enamoured with you for all eternity." He informed me seriously.

"Funny, that was my theory."

"No, you're not that pretty." He bluffed calmly.

"Oh, ouch!" I clutched my chest in mock offense, but he grinned without taking his eyes off the road, took my hand from my chest and kissed it. "It's a good thing you're rich, or I would _so_ leave right now."

"Oh, that's right, you're only stringing me along to use me for my money and sex."

"You know it." He pulled into the garage and walked around the car to open the door for me.

"I'm not complaining." He kissed me, parting my lips with his tongue and eliciting a moan from me. He lifted me up, supporting my butt, and I wrapped my legs around him as he carried me down to his bedroom. He sat me down on the bed and took my dress off, and finally got the chance to rip my panties off of me, all the while our lips meshed urgently. I pulled his shirt over his head and got to work on his jeans, fumbling a little in my haste to get them _off already!_ His mouth travelled down the length of my body, pausing at my breasts before he took my bra off as well, and continued down to my core, where he nipped lightly at my clit, making me abandon his buttons and fall back on the bed, squirming with pleasure. His tongue teased my lips and I cried out. He was tasting me, setting me on fire, making me lose my mind. I arched my back, gasping his name. My hands clutched at the sheets, pulling them towards me and no doubt leaving indentations in the soft fabric. His hand travelled to my clit and he began teasing it as his lips busied themselves lower. His fingers slid lower, replacing his tongue and he lifted himself over me, while a small part of my brain registered that he had taken his jeans off. His lips met mine, and I tasted myself on his lips. I moaned: he was keeping me suspended on the edge of the cliff, not pushing me over, but keeping me in sweet agony.

"Eric," I panted his name against his lips, "Eric." He positioned himself so he was ready to push in and I locked eyes with him, anticipating his words. With a last twist of his fingers I came, screaming his name as he pushed inside of me with a grunt and moved inside of me, while my muscles clamped down around him. He continued to push me towards another orgasm, and succeeded in making me climax once more and he himself came inside of me until we were both spent and collapsed in a pile, my legs still hanging off the edge of the bed. Feeling dawn approach, he dragged me until my head was actually resting on the pillow and then tucked the comforter around both of us.

"I love you." I mumbled against his chest and he laughed.

"Not satisfied with the money and the sex, are you?" I punched him and he laughed harder, and then I was asleep.


	14. Chapter 14

**Life Goes On **by PersianFreak

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Charlaine Harris. Please don't sue.

Rating: T

A/N: Really short chapter. In fact, my shortest chapter yet, but it's my second chapter of the day so hopefully y'all will forgive. The next chapter will be in EPOV, and I hate switching in the middle of the chapter, so, now you know why. Anyways. Enjoy.

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"Are you coming?" Eric asked me as he pulled on a dark pair of pants and a black long-sleeved shirt.

"I don't know," I admitted quietly, watching him in the bathroom mirror as I leaned against the door jamb, "I don't know if I want to be there while you... You're going to torture him, aren't you?" Eric stopped fixing his hair (which he was pulling back into a low ponytail) and looked at me.

"Yes." There was no guilt in his voice, no hesitation; just unadulterated determination, "I intend to make him sorry."

"And then you're going to kill him." Not a question, but he nodded, still studying my expression.

I had woken to find Eric in a frenzy, if a thousand-year-old Viking can be in a frenzy. He was walking in and out of the bedroom, already showered, opening secret compartments in the closet and vaults behind paintings to pull out various weapons. As I watched, he donned a thick pair of leather gloves and, with a grimace on his face, opened a case with silver chains. He transferred a few to a small bag which he placed inside a duffel bag, in which I could already see a stake and several other horrifying items, the purposes of which I tried to not think about. He spared a second to give me a quick kiss before resuming his mission.

"Are you having second thoughts?" He asked, taking my hands in his.

"I want him dead." I snapped with an intensity that frightened me.

"The rest of them are already dead." He informed me calmly, watching for my reaction.

"Niall called?" He nodded. "And everything went well?" Another nod.

"They couldn't hang around and wait to see how it turned out, but they all got out of there safely." Good. That was good.

"They're waiting for you... where, exactly?"

"A warehouse I keep empty for... my purposes." Another thing I didn't want to think about: Eric's 'purposes'.

"Don't be stupid, okay?" I said suddenly. Eric raised his eyebrows at me.

"Don't let him egg you on, don't..."I tried to steady my shaky nerves, "don't release him and fight him. If anything goes wrong-"

"I am well aware of what will happen if de Castro escapes, love," He interrupted, not unkindly.

"Not just that," I shook my head, "don't get yourself hurt, don't let him get the best of you." He cocked his head to the side and regarded me silently, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"You _worry_ about me?"

"Of course I do, you're way too excited about this for my nerves to be calm." His smile disappeared, and he pulled me into his arms.

"It'll be over tonight," He promised quietly, "after tonight, nobody will hurt you, my love. And don't worry about me," He added as an afterthought, "I didn't wait for you all this time to get myself killed before I get a chance to be with you."

"You better not," I threatened feebly, and then I stood on my tiptoes to press my lips against his in a tender kiss that deepened as our lips moved urgently against one another.

"Okay," Eric pressed his lips to mine once again, "I have to go," and again, "Really."

"Uh huh." I let my lips wander down to his jaw, his neck.

"Don't make me throw you down on the floor and fuck you senseless, woman!" He threatened, though the full effect of his threat was lost due to the fact that moaned immediately after, but I pulled back anyways.

"Go."

"I'll be okay." I nodded.

"I'm going to let the mind block fall, okay?" I let him know, "Just in case anything goes downhill."

"Don't come running if it does, though I doubt it will." He advised, "Get Pam, tell her everything, then come."

"I will." I assured him.

"I love you." He smiled, effectively melting my unbeating heart.

"I know, now go." He kissed me one last time and left, taking his duffle bag with him. I collapsed on the bed and began my worrying marathon. It was going to be a long night.


	15. Chapter 15

**Life Goes On **by PersianFreak

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Charlaine Harris. Please don't sue.

Rating: M for violence

A/N: Here be Badass!Eric. You know the drill: reviews rock my world, thanks if you have already reviewed, shame shame if you haven't yet (just kidding). Enjoy!

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I pulled out of the garage and began heading towards the warehouse. I was tense with anticipation, my blood practically crackling with my excitement. Everything had gone according to plan, though the plan had not been entirely to my liking. I would have much preferred fighting with Niall's people, taking pleasure in watching life leave Victor's eyes, perhaps setting the entire headquarters on fire... but no matter. I would satisfy myself with torturing de Castro until he was begging for forgiveness, until he was weeping with pain. This was a side of me that Sookie feared, I knew that, but it was a side I had nurtured for far too long to entirely abandon. Tonight would be Felipe de Castro's last, one way or another. I will admit I hadn't given much thought to the future. I had organized an attack that left the states of Nevada, Louisiana and Arkansas without a leader, and though it would seem natural for me to take over and gain the title of King, it was not an idea I relished. I was perfectly content governing my small piece of Louisiana, more so now that Sookie was at my side. There were other candidates, however. Peter Roscoe of Arkansas was a powerful vampire, but was somewhat lacking in diplomacy, something that had prevented him from gaining higher office. Marie Gerard was a fair Sherriff and governed Area 3 of Nevada. She was, after me, the oldest Sherriff, and had a large number of supporters. There were a handful of other vampires fit for the job, but none whom I would pledge my allegiance to willingly. I was still contemplating possible candidates when my phone rang. I glanced at the number, but did not recognize it. Regardless, I answered.

"Eric Northman?" A female voice asked.

"Who is this?" I asked with a hint of irritation.

"I'm calling from the King's headquarters." A smile tugged at the corners of my mouth, and I decided to have a little fun.

"Which King?"

"_Your _King! King de Castro." The voice snapped impatiently.

"Oh, silly me," I admonished myself, "What can I do for you, Miss..?"

"My name is not of importance here, Sherriff. I'm to let you know that an attack has been made on the King and his officers. They have all been found staked in their day beds, and the King himself is missing. You are to devote all those in your Area to the search."

"Madam, if, as you say, all of the King's officers have been murdered, what are the chances that the King himself is still alive?" I stopped at a red light, tapping my fingers lightly on the steering wheel.

"Are you refusing your orders, Sherriff?"

"So it seems, for I appear to have no King, madam."

"Sherriff Northman," the voice snapped indignantly, "need I remind you that should the King regain power, you will be prosecuted for not coming to his aid?"

"Are you threatening me, madam?" I inquired calmly.

"Simply stating the truth." The voice snapped.

"Ah, well, let me tell you something," I made a final turn and arrived at my destination, "I have been alive for a thousand years, madam, and no kidnapper in his right mind will keep the King alive when he has already vanquished the King's most powerful men and women; not one who has the power and intelligence required to infiltrate the state's capital."

"So you _are_ abandoning your King." For the love of Odin!

"I _have_ no King," I pointed out smoothly, "Not for now, anyways. Good night, madam." I hung up on the annoying secretary for the King (for that's whom I recognized the voice as), and chuckled to myself. Then I dialled another number and put the phone to my ear, eyeing the entrance to the warehouse.

"Sherriff Northman for Sherriff Gerard. Yes, I will hold." I paused for a moment while Marie was fetched.

"Eric!" Marie sounded delighted to hear from me. But then again, she had good reason. I smirked as I remembered more than one encounter during which- I shook my head. Focus.

"Marie, how are you, m'dear?" I cajoled.

"This is not a social call, Eric, so you might as well tell me what you want." I laughed, she really did know me too well.

"I assume you've been made aware of the attack on the King."

"Yes?"

"Well, I just wanted to make it clear that should you decide to aim for the title of Queen, you will have my support." There was a silence on the other end of the line, and then Marie spoke again, choosing her words carefully.

"I will keep that in mind, Sherriff, should the King's demise be proven."

"Oh, of course," I amended glibly, "I would never condone a take-over, Marie, my allegiance to the King remains until his death."

"Naturally, as does mine."

"We understand each other, then?"

"Yes, thank you, Eric."

"The pleasure is all mine, Marie. Good night, now."

"Good night." I hung up again and smirked into the darkness before reaching for my bag and leaving the car, locking it behind me.

***

"Where have you been?" Niall asked crossly when I entered. There was nobody else in the warehouse, which only led me to believe that the place was surrounded by Niall's men.

"Dealing with the aftermath of an attack, fairy," I snapped.

"Oh, I'm sorry," He retorted, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "Were our _services_ not up to your standards?" I gritted my teeth, and ignored his comment. If I responded, it would end in a fight and I was sure Sookie would not appreciate it if I killed her great grandfather.

"Where is he?" I asked instead, and Niall nodded to a door behind me.

"We put a spell on him so he would fall asleep; he was starting to annoy me." He responded to my raised eyebrows. "He should wake up when you call him." I nodded.

"Will you be joining me?" Niall smirked at me.

"Oh no, I had my fun with his second-in-command. You go ahead." I nodded once more and headed for the door, but I paused with my hand on the door handle.

"Thank you," Niall raised his eyebrows and I continued, "For helping me."

"Don't kid yourself, Sherriff," Niall all but snorted, "I did this for my granddaughter. You just happened to take benefit from it."

"Fair enough," I muttered and opened the door. Felipe de Castro lay on a metal cot in the centre of the room, which, in a twist of irony, was similar to the one in which he had imprisoned my lover and I. He was tied down with silver chains but his bloody suit prevented it from burning his flesh. Apparently Niall had had his own bit of fun with de Castro. Smirking to myself, I laid out my equipment on a table next to his cot and donned my leather gloves. Only then did I wake him.

"Oh, Felipe!" I called in a singsong voice. "King de Castro!" The bastard opened his eyes lazily, and I took advantage of this momentary grogginess to stuff a long silver chain down his throat. That seemed to wake him up, and he let out a muffled shriek as the silver began burning.

"Hurts, doesn't it?" I asked pleasantly. "Don't worry, you'll get used to it." De Castro continued shrieking, smoke rising from his mouth, and I waited patiently. Eventually, the silver burned his throat down to his voice box, and effectively silenced him. His eyes rolled around in their sockets and focused for the first time on me. They tightened and filled with loathing as crimson tears escaped involuntarily from the pain.

"See, when you decided to kidnap and blackmail me," I began in that same pleasant voice that I knew was absolutely infuriating, "you failed to remember that I would not stand for it, Felipe." I picked up another silver chain and, in a moment of ingenuity, unzipped his trousers and stuffed them down his pants, zipping them back up when I was done and patting his groin lightly. He fought uselessly against the silver chains as his manhood (literally) went up in smoke. "That's the funny thing about your inferiors," I continued as if we were having a normal conversation, "at some point, they tend to get sick of your bullshit, especially if you make it personal, like, say, if you force them to kill their loved ones." I forced his mouth open and pulled out the silver chain, allowing his body to begin healing. He wheezed pathetically and shot me another look of pure hatred. I put the bloodied chain caked with his flesh to good use when I wrapped it tightly around his wrist, watching with mild amusement as his skin and flesh began disintegrating, leaving just the bones. "Huh," I mused lightly, "that's rather amusing to watch, isn't it, Felipe?" I looked up and shot him a charming smile.

"I... will... _end_ you!" He gasped through his raw throat.

"What are you going to do, _wheeze_ at me?" I grinned like it was the best comeback ever, but it was too hard to resist. For the next several hours, I continued to make my King suffer in the worst ways possible. I even went the extra mile and spilled human blood on the floor where he would smell it and lust after it. It drove me insane, too, of course, but I was not hurt or thirsty, so I had no problems ignoring it. Besides, watching Felipe squirm and his pupils dilate was certainly worth it. I used my hundreds of years of experience to make the last hours of Felipe's existence as painful as possible, thought I made sure to block my thoughts from Sookie during the most gruesome acts. She could feel that everything was alright through the bond, so not having direct access to my thoughts was not too disconcerting for her.

Finally, when dawn was a mere two hours away, I put Felipe out of his misery and staked him through the heart, watching as the light left his eyes. I cleaned up quickly and gathered my equipment and headed out. Niall was nowhere to be found, most likely having left already, and I began heading home. Sookie would already be asleep by the time I reached her, her mind having been set at ease when I finally staked de Castro and informed her of it, but I was looking forward to a shower and lying next to her for my daytime slumber. I sped, driving at easily twice the speed limit in my haste. At last I arrived home, abandoning my bag in the car and hurrying downstairs. She was asleep, wearing one of my old t-shirts, her face buried in her pillow. I glanced at myself: I was covered in blood and flesh. I would have to shower before I even _thought_ about approaching her. Twenty minutes later, I slid into bed next to her and wrapped her in my arms.

"I love you." I murmured into her hair before sleep claimed me.


	16. Chapter 16

**Life Goes On **by PersianFreak

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Charlaine Harris. Please don't sue.

Rating: T

A/N: Another short chapter. I should stop posting so many short chapters and save them so I can post longer chapters with longer intervals in between. Regardless. Enjoy this chapter; I sure did.

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I had to find a way to keep my mind off of Eric, but I really had nothing to do.

The entire house was freakishly organized, everything in its place on a shelf or in a closet. I chuckled, thinking that even my grandmother would find nothing to do in a place like this. I stopped in mid-stride and thought about Gran: how would she have reacted to me becoming a vampire? She had always been acceptant of Bill, but would she have been fine with me? Would she love me regardless, or banish me? What about Eric? I continued walking towards the bar, in search of blood. I wondered how she would have reacted to me falling in love with a vampire as powerful as Eric. She had passed away before things had gotten serious between Bill and I, but then again she had liked Bill (and his Southern gentlemanly manner), but Eric was entirely different. I shook my head; I was sure she would have been no match for Eric's charm, just like I hadn't been, but I still couldn't shake off the thought of how my life would have been had my grandmother been alive to this day.

"Aha!" I patted myself on the back. There were a few bottles of Royalty Blended in the fridge, and I pulled one out. Hmm, A-negative. I had never tried anything other than O, so I was curious to try this. Grabbing a wine glass from the shelf, I poured myself some and tentatively took a sip. It had a strange aftertaste, but I quickly got used to it. Blood was blood, after all, and I was enjoying every sip of it. My mind drifted to Eric and my heart did a free fall. Dammit. I could feel his presence thrumming in the back of my head, and I could feel his anticipation, but just the thought that he could get hurt... I shook my head to clear it. I had to find something to do to get my mind off of him. I looked around the room and smiled.

I spent the next four hours organizing Eric's DVDs by putting them in alphabetical order. Having finished that, I moved on to his games (of which there was a surprising number). The books seemed to be organized in a way that I didn't quite understand, so I left those alone. Having exhausted all my venues of entertainment in the basement, I trudged upstairs with a fresh glass of blood with the intention of exploring on the second floor. Once there, I ignored the door that couldn't be anything other than a closet and the master bedroom. The door on my left turned out to be a smaller guest bedroom, with a surprising homey feel. The vanity and the bed where in a white-painted wood and the walls were painted a light blue, a colour that matched the bed spread and the curtains. The entire feel of the room reminded me of a certain vampire: Pam. I smiled at the image of her decorating this room to her own liking, while Eric rolled his eyes indulgently. Right then, Eric threw up a mindblock. I frowned and hastily checked the bond, but he seemed to be enjoying himself, which meant he was doing something particularly gruesome to de Castro and didn't want me to watch... Fair enough. I didn't _want_ to know. I moved on to the next room: a massive mahogany desk dominated the room, with shelves lining either side of the room. The far wall behind the desk was another window, with yet another view of the nightscape. Deciding this must be Eric's office, I walked around the desk and sat behind it on the comfortable leather swivel chair. An expensive-looking laptop lay on the desk, complete with a printer in a compartment under the desk itself. I bit my lip and finally gave in, turning the computer on. It whirred smoothly to life. I stared at the screen with my mouth hanging open: where had Eric gotten the photo I had taken with Claude in a photoshoot?? To the best of my knowledge, it hadn't been published, and yet here it was. I was torn between being flattered and being offended, but I finally gave up. It was nothing he hadn't seen anyways, and it was sweet, in a strange way. Following my snooping streak, I opened his documents, glancing through various files regarding Fangtasia and Area Five. One file caught my eye though; it was named _Assignments_, and upon opening it, I found a long list of Area Five vamps that had been sent on various missions under either the King or Eric's orders, as well as the actual assignments. I scrolled through the names, looking for any names I might recognize for lack of a better thing to do when I hit jackpot. I froze, my mind going blank, my already cold body growing even colder. I fought back the anger that was threatening to consume me and tried to hold on to some sense. I blocked the bond in order to avoid distracting Eric, but I quickly printed the page that had caught my attention and turned off the computer. I grabbed the single sheet and, feeling dawn approach, headed downstairs, barely remembering to take my glass of blood with me as I did. I left the single sheet of paper face down on the coffee table in front of the couch and rinsed out the wine glass before going to bed, my muscles still tense with barely suppressed anger. I was half asleep when I felt the assurance Eric sent me as a way to tell me he had accomplished his goal. I fell asleep partly relieved and partly furious.


	17. Chapter 17

**Life Goes On **by PersianFreak

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Charlaine Harris. Please don't sue.

Rating: T

A/N: So, um, thisisthelastchapterofLGO *ducks*. I'm sorry!

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I padded out of the bedroom the next night still dressed in Eric's t-shirt to find the man (or vampire) himself leaning against the wet bar's countertop, drinking a True Blood and reading that morning's newspaper.

"Good morning, love," He grinned at me and at the irony, straightening up and holding out a hand to me; a hand which I did not accept. His grin faltered, and he cocked his head to the side, studying me. "What's wrong, Sookie?"

"He's dead?" I asked, my voice cracking lightly with disuse. I cleared my throat, and he nodded slowly, still trying to understand my mood.

"Sookie," He asked again, with a hint of a warning in his voice; or was it impatience? "What is wrong?"

"You sent him away." I accused quietly, but my eyes shone with my certainty. Eric raised a singly eyebrow at me and I walked towards the coffee table, grabbing the sheet of paper I had printed off of his computer and waved it in his face impatiently. "You sent him away. _You_ sent Bill away." Eric's expression became blank.

"Where did you get that?" His voice could have frozen beer.

"Your computer." I admitted with a hint of defiance.

"You went through my stuff?" His voice rose slightly in decibels, "Through my private files?"

"I was curious," I stumbled over my words, cowed momentarily by his expression before regaining my confidence, "Besides, it wouldn't have mattered if you hadn't hidden this from me!"

"I did it for you!" He looked downright scary, but I was sure he wouldn't hurt me. Besides, I was a vampire now. "Have you forgotten what a persistent prick he is? Do you think for a second that Compton would have backed down and left you alone?"

"He wanted me to be happy!" It was my turn to get louder, my voice rising in pitch in my agitation, "He _would_ have backed down when he finally realized that, Eric! You didn't have to send the guy halfway around the world! You had no right to do that!" Eric's eyes practically sparkled with ice, the beautiful blue lightening until it was a mere tinted grey. I cooled down, too. "You can't just take care of my problems for me, Eric. It doesn't work out that way; '_my_ problems' means _I_ have to deal with them; not you, not anyone else." I stepped forward and touched the side of his immobilized face. "Eric, I love you, okay? I _love_ you. So you need to stop trying to prove yourself to me, baby. Just..." I swallowed and tried to get a hold of myself. If Eric could have the strength to call me on my shit, I would do it, too. "No matter how many reasons Bill came up with about why I shouldn't be with you, no matter how much bullshit he tried to sell me about you, Eric, it wouldn't change anything." I sounded defeated, even to my own ears. Dropping my hand, I looked away and continued in a faint whisper. "I don't know why I love you. You're... proud and crazy and stubborn; you can be so cruel it terrifies me, and you want everything your own way; but you're also kind and gentle and fair and- you're the best thing that ever happened to me. And by God, if you can try and change for me, then I can do the same for you." I found myself stroking his cheek again as I spoke, my eyes following the lines my fingers made on his face, "Sending Bill away was pointless and childish, but I'm sorry you felt the need to do it. I'm sorry that, for whatever reason, you didn't trust how I feel about you. I'm sorry I've given you the impression that I still feel anything towards Bill other than friendship." I chuckled at myself; I was already changing. I had never poured my heart out this easily with Bill, always running away from him in my anger, always testing him and our relationship, just as Eric had said.

"I'm an idiot," Eric growled unhappily and I found myself grinning and shaking my head.

"Nope, that's my job." He ran a hand through my hair and kissed my forehead.

"And I really don't have anything to hide from you... other than that." I nodded, understanding the honour he was giving me: sharing everything with me, trusting me with everything.

"I'm sorry I snooped, okay?" I leaned me head against his chest, "I was just curious at first and then..."

"I know." He stroked my hair, "My fault for leaving you home alone, you were bound to get into trouble."

"Hey!" I smacked his chest and he laughed softly.

"Do you want me to call him back to Bon Temps?"

"No," I rejected the idea without having to ask who he meant, "I have a feeling he wasn't all too happy to be around me anyways. Just... tell me the next time your jealousy flares up and you decide to get rid of one of my ex-boyfriends, okay?"

"One down, one to go." He smirked mischievously and I elbowed him in the ribs. Eric laughed, a hearty sound that echoed around the entire room and I put my arms around his neck to kiss him.

"I never thought I would say this, but can we go to work now?"

"Well, I had something else in mind, lover," His fingers drifted down my side to touch the hem of my t-shirt, "But if you're in a hurry, we can-" I grabbed his hand before he pulled it away and claimed his mouth in a hungry kiss. Toppling onto the bed (now entirely nude), he broke the kiss and took my hand, leaving a trail of kisses from the tips of my fingers to my shoulder and neck and, finally, my lips. I moaned and gathered my thoughts, knowing that if I didn't do it now, I wouldn't get another chance for a while.

"I'm in love with you, Eric Northman." He grinned my favourite grin, the one that melted my undead heart, and then proceeded to show me exactly how much he loved me back.

***

Life isn't perfect. I know, I know, it's such a cliché, but it's the truth. It's messy and painful and sometimes you just want to give up, and if it weren't for those special moments, you probably would. You know what moments I'm talking about; they're few and far in between, but man, when they come along...

My life was far from perfect; I'd be the first to admit it. If someone had told me even a few years ago that not only am I part-fae, but I was also destined to fall in love with a gorgeous thousand-year-old vampire Viking who would then be forced to turn me into a vampire, I would have laughed in your face. If you'd told me that with the help of my fairy prince of a great grandfather, my lover would avenge my death by torturing the man responsible, I would have gently suggested that you see a psychiatrist, but that's the funny thing about life: it's a lot of things, but it's never boring. My life right now is as different as it can get from what I imagined it would be like, but I wouldn't change it for the world. I've found happiness in the least likely place possible, with a man who loves me and all eternity for me to love him back.

Immortality is not going to be easy, and neither is our relationship, but at least now that I've accepted it, it's not going to catch me off-guard later.

Who knows, maybe we'll break records.

Maybe we'll change the world the way we changed one another.

_Fin._

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A/N: That's it you guys. I realize there're some loose ends to tie up, and those will be taken care of in another story. Promise. As a matter of fact, I will start working on that right now. A heartfelt 'thank you' to 'clancy119', whose reviews were fantastic reading materials all on their own, 'Gjers-1' who wished Felipe could die more than once, 'GaijinVamp', who, as mentioned before, gave me dirty, dirty ideas about the new throne, 'Maudie' who commended Eric on showering before cuddling, 'Insert Witty Name Here', who called Bill a drama queen, 'SEOrwin', 'murgatroid-98', 'sluggysmom', 'reading all night', 'jdcoke', and all you other guys whose names I wish I could list but really can't. Just know that I read every single one of your reviews and (at the very least) grinned at every single one of them. Thanks for making my very first fanfic so much fun!! Any last reviews are, of course, welcome.

I will post another 'chapter' later on with reminders for y'all to check out the sequel.

Until then, bye-bye!!


	18. Chapter 18

So, this is somewhat overdue, but I said I would add a 'chapter' to this story with updates on the sequel, so here it is. My new story and the sequel to _Life Goes On_ is now up, and is called _Surprise._ Another thanks to everyone who read my story, and I hope you guys will enjoy this next one.


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